Cause it's a skate day with my boys So let's go and make some noise Cause it's a skate day with my boys and everything's all right. Yeah, everything's all right. Oh Just a song that I felt like seeing that I uh, I was thinking about earlier today because I miss skateboarding right now And I was like what would be a fun skateboarding anthem to just sing to myself New song I'm working on called skate day apparently what's going on welcome to Jeremiah wonders guys. What's up?
Huh? Man? I gotta say guys. I had a very very Fun special week.
There's a couple things that happened that I want to share with you guys here in a second dad made my week very good I hope this week finds you well. I hope this is a great start to your day. Good morning. Good evening.
Good afternoon Whatever part of the day you're in. I hope it's going well for you. Steve Simone Wow what a guest He told some of the coolest stories on this podcast Wow It's just if you want to know more about the commie store if you're just a commie fan in general this episode is for you It's a little bit different kind of episode than some of the other Jeremiah wonders episodes He if you don't know Steve he's a phenomenal comedian and storyteller and whenever somebody is as Pro or advanced in their trade of like storytelling or or whatever they do. I just kind of let them go and do their thing So, you know, there's not a ton ton of uh, Collins We had a few columns that were fun There's not maybe as many of the other episodes, but the stories are so freaking good on this episode I can't wait for you to hear them.
What's going on guys? Let me share a little bit about my week I'll try to get through this and intro as fast possible some people say that these are too long, but you know what? You're missing out on some some some great stuff if you fast forward this Losers just kidding. I mean you can do it.
It's your life, man. Do what you do what you want to do Your life, man. No, it's fine. I'm not offended.
No, it's cool. It's great, man. Now you do you Been doing some great writing and some editing with my boy Patty Reagan Been putting some packing some writing packets together and then we also were starting to edit some music videos very excited to update you guys with that On Tuesday night this happened and I'll try to be concise with this, but this is something very special that happened to me So like over seven years ago. I was working full-time at Starbucks, okay?
And I was already doing comedy I was going out every night doing open mics doing whatever shows I could get on But you know just a comedian who is working a day job that I didn't want to be at in one day It's around Christmas time. I am dressed in a full elf costume at Starbucks passing out free samples Don't ask me why my boss was going off to let me dress up. Maybe they thought I was slow I don't know I don't know what but that's not a standard Starbucks thing where they allow the employees to dress up as things and then pass up for samples But I had a cool boss So I'm in a full elf costume and Kevin Neeland and his wife walk into Starbucks and Whenever Kevin steps away and I just have a moment with his wife at the right near the counter of the register Hey, I don't want to bother Kevin, but we let him know I love his work I'm a big fan is and she's like oh that's so sweet a couple minutes later She walks Kevin over with her to introduce him to me and they offered me tickets to his laugh factory show that night and They're like yeah, we'll put you on the guest list. Just let us know if you want to go I'm like absolutely I'm there so I took my now wife my with me to the laugh factory and We had the best time of so cool and Since moving to Los Angeles, I had wanted to do Kevin's Show the laugh actor because he the main thing that's cool about his show is not only It's just a stand-up show and it's like some comedian's testing out new material and stuff He interviews them and riffs with them afterwards and I just thought that that was like the coolest thing so My wife and I saw that show like over seven years ago and I just basically I just kept working and you know seven years later I Did the show on Tuesday?
I did that same show that I went and saw with my wife over seven years ago and got to do it on My own terms so I went from audience member to actually Being on the stage and being a part of the show so something those was like a you know These little victories it like that's like a big thing to me Something that was super important me but it was super special and I got to tell that's that story on stage to Kevin in front of the Laugh-Factory audience knows it's pretty cool man, and then Just a great week later that night Hugh Jackman was one of the judges at Rose Battle What the frick are you kidding me Wolverine was one of the judges I? Did Wolverine act out where I had straws as my Adam and Tim Claus and he freaking loved it You Jackman saw me do my faux Wolverine impression Waverine So far and then on the 4th of July my buddy Jeff Ross asked me to open for him at the San Diego County Fair what in front of a Few thousand people I had to follow fireworks. That's never happened Then I go out do my thing had a couple people hit me up on Instagram afterwards that happened to be there I know you're coming I was coming either there's a close thing on her So I want to say thank you to Kevin Neal and Jeff Ross and Brian Moses, you know special week of shows guys So just want to update you with some cool things. Let's get to the kindness challenge guys.
What do you say? I received this letter from a guy Basically, I if you don't know the kind of challenges I challenge you to do something nice for somebody who you know or something Somebody who you don't know during the week just out of the kindness of your heart and this guy wrote me a letter I don't know what he sounds like. I don't know what he looks like so your pal Jeremiah your boy Jeremiah started wondering What he would sound like so I decided I'm gonna read the letter to you and what I think he might sound like here We go hi Jeremiah. I'm a mailman and stopped him every day I see the same people they come from all different walks of life I can see who's well off and who might need help there's a woman on my route with four children They seem like they're low income one of the kids about 12 to 14 years old.
He's a nice kid He's always outside riding his bike. I recently got married and was clean down my room in my closet I had an Xbox 360 amps 3 the 360 had about 30 games and the ps3 had maybe point I asked the mother and kid If it was okay, if I gave it to them, of course I said yes, the kid was stoked the mom said he's been happy all week Just want to share this story for the kindness challenge. Take care. Oh boy Thank you very much Jose for sharing that awesome kindness challenge letter You can hit him up on Instagram at their underscore again 102 Tell him a good job keep that positivity going guys.
That's what it's all about It wasn't using his his old video game system. He saw a kid that could get some enjoyment out of it That's so cool. Yeah, you hook that kid up That's a lot of games 50 games in two systems man That's freaking awesome. Especially if that family's not well off like you have no idea how much that kind of stuff Affects people on a positive light whenever a stranger does something nice for them like that.
I freaking love it Steve Simone actually he did a kind of challenge for me that I share on the podcast later and And I almost got emotional a couple times on this podcast on this episode of Steve He told this story later on about Robin Williams. That is just a beautiful story that I was like wow This is incredible. It's blown away by a lot of Steve stories and you guys will be too I'll share some tour dates with you and we'll get right into this episode before we do that I gotta thank the sponsor of the show at Bronx born pizza on social media there in Bend, Oregon Every Wednesday I come up with YouTube videos That happens because Brown's want pizza hooked me up with the equipment to be able to do that So thank you Tom Schiffer over Bronx born pizza and if you're near Oregon go to Bend go to Bronx one pizza grab a slice speed We'd at speed lead on Twitter Gino. He's the man with the plan and that's dickie.
It could green green. You in a marijuana He's your guy hitting up boo. Okay. Joe's Pizza ad Joe's Pizza LA on Instagram Yeah, Steve and I had some root beers and pizza on this podcast.
It's freaking fun, dude Let's get in these tour dates and start up this podcast Tuesday July 10 stand up on the spot is already sold out Why did you wait so long to get tickets? I mean the lineups have been insane lately Eric Andre Joe Rogan friend and job Krista Stefano making daily your boy Jeremiah Watkins I mean wow what the that's already sold out he tickets for next month is every second Tuesday of the month at the comedy store You got to come see my baby all improvised all brand new all off the top material July 13th Friday night this week Come see me Josh Adam Iars and Avery Pearson. We're doing our own show midnight snack at the New York comedy club If you're in town for Skankfest You don't have anything to do that Friday night come to New York comedy club Friday the 13th come celebrate with us Let's get weird. Are we playing sacks doing a lot of riffin with the crowd?
It's gonna be a blast Skankfest July 14th and 15th this weekend as well Saturday and Sunday come see us in Brooklyn We're doing stand up on the spot kill Tony the comedy game of them stand up spots gonna be phenomenal July 18th to 22nd Las Vegas laugh factory. I'll be hosting out there and catch me do some shorter sets if you're around that area hit me up I'll try to get you on the guess list if possible and then You know the last week of July I'm trying to get out the Montreal for Kill Tony. It's still up in the air I don't know what's going on with that But hopefully I can make that happen August I'll be in Cleveland Indiana Kentucky and Nashville with Tony and Red Man for different kill Tony's as well as featuring for Tony and flip on the road without further ado guys Leave a night tunes review Do that I haven't plugged that in a while maybe get a t-shirt Jeremiah Watkins that TV slash shop whatever you do You're gonna enjoy listening to this episode of phenomenal stories and phenomenal friendship with my pal Steve Simone on Jeremiah wonders I don't know a better way to uh to start a podcast than having root beers and pizza right before you get started It's the greatest it went it went root beer pizza high five Begin it's already started. It's already started Yeah, dude, that's great.
Well, I'll do it. I'm super excited to have you man Yeah, you were a guest that kept coming up request wise people get out here No, seriously people kept being like dude, you gotta get Steve Simone on the podcast just make me feel better Not at all. I've really not told it to many other people so that's off. Yeah.
Thanks, buddy Yeah, yeah, made it happen guys. You just saw my one of my uh, Bill Murray books over there Yeah, and Steve said do you have I ever told you the story of when I met Bill Murray and I go no But let's say for the podcast and let's start recording so you want to tell it. Yeah, okay This is the best. This is another reason 11 New York.
I think it was 2015 maybe 2016 One of those two or three years ago in November. I was honored to be part of the New York comedy festival It was my first festival and it's like a big deal, you know Yeah, and I just made my debut on Comedy Central and Gabrielle glacis the show and Gabriel was kind enough to say look They want me to do a show. I think we did Where do the almond brothers always used to play New York? It's like some famous venue wasn't Radio City But the other one I don't know some big huge theater, right?
Yeah, so Gabriel was like we're gonna do a stand-up revolution show in New York Part of the festival and I'm like oh my gosh. I'm going to New York with Gabriel They're paying for me. They're giving me a hotel in Manhattan and then Ari called me and then I was like are you coming to the festival? I was like yeah, he goes awesome.
What's doing this is not happening I'm like even I'm like it's gonna be the best week ever so we get on the plane we land in New York and I was supposed to meet Ari and like his agents kind of like my friend Justin and His whole like his New York group. They were all having like a cool showbiz dinner And I was like I don't think I'm gonna be able to make it But I wanted to see Ari hadn't seen him in like a year. Yeah, but so we landed we get into New York Ari's already texting I'm like we're not we just landed dude So I go to the hotel with Gabe and we're hanging out at the bar having laughs and We went and got pizza and I brought it back to the bar and I'm like New York is the best So I'm like this is already the greatest thing ever because the even stinky pizza in New York is pretty much better than the elite pizza here You know, it's like it's a full letter grade better. So I'm through so across the board.
Yeah, so we had good It wasn't the best pizza, but it was by LA standards. It was magnificent I was so happy to be on the East Coast. It was warm. It was unseasonably warm It felt like almost like a summer night without the humidity Gabe was like I'm wiped out.
I'm going to bed I'm like no worries. I'm gonna go meet Ari goes tell myself what's up And then we go to this cool kid hotel like I don't know anything about like show busy places You know what I mean? But I guess like there's hotels that have like fancy restaurants in them Yeah, and like lounges and stuff so it was one of those boutique hotels All right So I go to meet Ari and his crew and I bring some Gabe's crew with me and we're standing outside on this little narrow street Like enjoying a warm night in November. It's like crazy and we're like this is the best I'm like I love New York It's like 130 in the morning on a school night and I'm like I'm alive right so one of Gabe's managers Jenny is hanging out with us And she's the sweetest nicest person ever and a cat pulls up like we'll have like a little semi circle in the street That's probably about as wide as your apartment this right here Mm-hmm, so when a cab stops there you see clearly see who gets out and she goes Oh my god that was Bill Murray and we all froze for a second She goes guys Bill Murray just walked into that hotel the same cool kid hotel where Aria dinner So you know like they teach you an acting class what's natural behavior?
Do you know what I mean everybody's acts stuff? You know what happens? Everybody Paul she goes oh my god Bill Mary just walked into that hotel and everyone And jumped right back into the conversations like it didn't happen like it was almost like we didn't want to deal with the consequences of making a Choice. Yeah, like just pretend it didn't happen.
It'd be like a big foot walk by or you sold ghosts We don't address it then maybe it didn't happen. Yeah, and it's like I don't know what to do So then about 15 seconds later and we're everybody's talking to us guys. I'm not kidding that was Bill Murray So I look at Ari I go do we got to meet him because yeah So we all go in and it's kind of like the Michael Jackson beat a video where everybody's following me and Ari into the hotel and Bill Murray's back. Yeah, you know I'm like a giant group of people being led by me and Ari like we had fights like Mary we're gonna go meet Bill Mary.
All right, so he's right there and he's way taller than I thought Bill Mary's like At least I would say about six three. He's a big dude. Is he really huge big guy like broad big dude Wow, like when you hear those stories about how he knocked out Chevy Chase back stage is That I'm like yeah, Bill Mary's a tough Irish guy from Chicago. Oh whip your ass.
Wow. Okay, so this is the best It's like 130 in the morning and he's got his suitcase And he just has a look on his face kind of like in rush morning was on the diving board We're like I'm going this board guy doesn't want to be bothered But I go it's my only chance to meet my ultimate comedy hero So me and Ari are right there. We're like we gotta do it right. We have to and he's like yeah, let's do it and now everybody's Further away from you and Ari so now me and Ari losing all their confidence You're leaving all the friends behind you like Ari we gotta push forward Approaching a really hot chick out of our we're like oh, I would totally make out for a talk to her And you're like well, I noticed her one thumb was bigger than the other so yeah, I'm gonna Yeah, I'm gonna hold out wait for a misperfect Yeah, yeah So then we get like right there and I look at Ari and I'm like let's do it and I take the step just like in stripes and Ari doesn't come with me so now I'm pot committed It's 130 in the morning and it just you so marries back and me but now I'm so close to his back because that one step I'm breathing on his neck He knows I'm there so I'm like I have to say get it over with and I was like please sweet Jesus Just inspire me not because he also has reputation like if you're not polite or if you're rude They'll check you and now it's 130 in the morning.
You can tell he doesn't want to be bothered So I was just like excuse me and he turned around I'm like that is Bill Mary and he looked at me I'm like oh my god. Excuse me and Mr. Mary I just I said I just wanted to thank you for all the joy and laughter you brought into my home to I said mr. Mary.
I just want to thank you for all the joy and laughter you brought into my life in the lives of everybody in my Family so make God bless you and your family anyone that's so kind What's your name? I'm like I'm Steve and shook my hand because you can call me Bill very nice to meet you Steve Have a pleasant evening and I was like tonight mr. Mary and I was like oh my god And I turned around and I was like that was perfect. I can't believe that happened That was amazing and I'm like I just met Bill Mary so then we went up here is at the bars Like we should go get Bill Mary's if you want to drink and we did a circle We couldn't find him he was gone But the funniest part of the story that I've never told on a podcast because it's too embarrassing So like now I'm so cocky.
I'm like I've been in New York for four hours. I had pizza I'm hanging out with Gabe. I get to see my boy Ari We meet Bill Mary We stayed up the entire night walked that walked from wherever we were down to Ari's place in the village because it was a warm night Kimowitz from the stand just give me all these food options I'm like New York is the most magical city in the world and And then I did not have a good set when I opened up for Gabe because I wanted to tell the bill Mary's story because I was literally high for days So my guys I met Bill Mary in front of 2000 people and they're like who cares and I'm like all right I just minted into a bit all right so they don't go great But then the next day I was so excited because I'm like killed New York had a stinky step And I'm like I got to have another set with Ari in the storyteller show And now I'm gonna take a bus from New York to go visit my family in Philly And you can take like these bolt buses that are pretty nice that have Wi-Fi and stuff for like 10 bucks to get from New York to Philly It costs you more in tolls, right? So as I'm walking to the bus station place It's like a crowded New York Street, but where the buses are gets like a little more desolate So as I'm walking I'm walking next to I look right next to me on a random New York Street I'm like oh my god that's Steve Corral.
He's wearing sunglasses and mean Steve Corral We're walking together kind of and it's weird I've always seen people randomly on the streets in New York It's one of the things that makes it awesome just happens all right So I'm walking and now we're getting closer and closer and just less and less people like I gotta say something to Steve Corral He's not going to marry but it's another one of my heroes and like a notorious nice guy and I love him There's just something very loud about him. So he's walking right next to me and I'm like what do I say? Do I say the same thing? That's exactly like this I go.
I go you know use the Mary script, but you know, you know Adlib, you know it provides a little bit. Yeah, he's not going very good He's so pretty good. He's like cool So I'm walking and I go excuse me and he stops I went I just wanted to thank you and he looked at me went for what it clearly wasn't Steve Corral Steve Corral and there's like for one and I was like think fast and I said something stupid and the guy got terrified and walked across the street Especially New York everybody's like so direct on where they're going to go and then Oh, dude, it was hilarious. It was so uncomfortable, but also kind of enjoyable.
I'm just like hey buddy. I just want to thank you You just start recognizing different celebrities all throughout New York the rest of your trip total Yeah, the total tourist thing. Yeah, yeah, that's what yeah any time family visits or whatever They're so wanting to see a celebrity. Oh is that?
No, that's a random dude Isn't that the weirdest thing like how silly celebrity is and really it's like who cares? Well, I mean people Mary's Bill Murray Bill Murray. Yeah, but even then I just felt I Felt great that it was just able to thank him because I had a profound I watched meatballs last night and that was the movie that made me want to be funny really Yeah, and Bill Murray's just a he's a special talent. It's a special person a couple of the movies that made me Specifically that I remember like one of the funny.
We're probably I mean dumb and dumb or Tommy boy and dirty rotten scoundrels with Steve Martin and Michael King classics Yeah, like all those probably a big part of it is those made my dad like cackle you know I mean and whenever like Farley talked about that. Yeah, seeing Balushi make his dad laugh made him want to do it and an animal House all like part of the reason I like I why I love physical comedy so much I've seen my mom laugh so hard watching Balushi literally do that scene funny as well. He is like you ever seen it on the big screen No, I saw it that new Beverly. I like once a year You go.
Oh that guy's a star like I think that's the saddest thing about everybody watching everything at home And it's great and I love it and I'm guilty of it myself But I think movies films are meant to be enjoyed on a big screen and John Balushi in a big screen I could see why who directed that land this John Landis was like when he saw the talent John Balushi had He was literally exiting out pages of dialogue because Balushi could communicate that with a look and when you say it on the big screen It's ten times funnier. It's just even funnier. Well, it's blown up. You know, it's cute.
It's amazing But to your point I loved Chris Farley to me is probably the funniest person of all time. Oh my goodness Jim carries a huge reason why I found my way to the comedy store, so We like the same we like it good stuff. Yeah, yeah, totally totally what would you work to the at the store for years? I mean forever.
Yeah, what would like what was that? What's it like being somebody who has worked there been a paid regular there for years and really seen it at its lowest times? Compared to now it's kind of a renaissance. It's selling out most nights.
I talk to some people that say this is like the hottest It's ever been that ever more whoa, I would hear the stories like I've been very blessed for the friends that I have and one of my earliest mentors was the dice man like Andrew's a very sweet fun silly guy It's not like that persona that he you know became famous from and I remember him telling me stories like when he was a door guy He would follow Eddie Murphy. He would follow Richard Pryor He would follow Robin Williams and it was like it was electric and I ran into him about three weeks ago He popped in on a Monday night. Mm-hmm. And he was like it's electric again.
He goes this is what it was like. Wow It's really cool I'm very grateful to just be a part of it and to see it rise from the ashes like the Phoenix has been awesome and It reminds me that God's real because Mitzi in her last last year got to see it really again Yeah, you know she got to see it and she I was her assistant 15 years ago And she knew this was gonna happen. She was like my current group of comics are the best I've ever had And she was like they'll bring it back. Wow, and when you think about those guys those years that might be like 2005 ish when she said that I was so afraid of her for years and convinced that she hated me But like from like three to 2008 ish when I think about the comedians that were being developed and they're all the guys that are you know You're talking about like Sebastian Bill Burr, Chris Delia Whitney Cummings They're all people that nobody really knew then that are the best in the world right now.
Joe Diaz Ari It's amazing. It's the coolest thing. I love comedy. I love like I don't need to make people laugh Like if I can just hang out and laugh.
It's my favorite thing in the world So to be there now with Everybody else enjoying in that electricity and that show is stuff and whatever but just being in a circle in the parking lot And you're there in hinge course break in your balls and you guys are like the funnest thing ever. It's a tree house for grownups It's absolutely yeah, I mean it definitely feels like summer camp for sure that you're around sometimes That's awesome just a riff and in circles in the parking lot and yeah, even when it was stinky like a lien years I remember Pauli sure another mentor. I was blessed with like people forget how big of a star that dude Oh, yeah, so I had a picture with Pauli that went up like a few years ago like for he was like walk about when we're doing like a rose battle promo or something and That picture meant more to some of my family in the Midwest than some of anything that I've done out here Oh, yeah, they're like what I remember touring with Pauli through the Midwest It was overwhelming like the guys legitimately famous and my favorite thing about being on the road was with Pauli was Taking a shuttle straight from the airport back to the comedy started tell the guys what it was like Like I would have my suitcases go right back to the store dude I think you know what I think we're actually in a phone call right now. I think Pauli sure is actually calling into the show Oh cool.
What's up, Ollie? Yeah, thanks for letting me sell your t-shirts on the road and stuff buddy. Yeah, you didn't ever pocket any other money. Did you?
No Yeah, I'm thinking of taking you on the road again. Let's go. This is honestly I'm like okay sounds good. So what are you doing?
I'm hanging out with Jeremiah. We're doing a podcast. Okay When they told me said hi Jeremiah Polly says hi. I'm a big fan of yours.
Polly. I am you know It's it's we say hi to each other every once in a while whenever I see you at the comedy store All right. Well, you just heard that Steve was talking about you. So you wanted to call in to the show Yeah, I mean, we would love to have you on the podcast anytime if you if you should do it Jeremiah gives you pepperoni pizza and root It's right on P lives on that same street you told me that where all the playmates lived That's true right around here.
Oh, yeah, half used to have an apartment building. Oh, yeah, I remember I did tell you that mm-hmm Okay, I'll let you guys get back to it, but it's chicks there, too Love you, Paulie. I'll tell Jeremiah to bring chicks for you guys. Love you buddy.
How cool was that Paulie? Short just called it. I'm pretty pumped and psyched that he got I mean I'm always blown away by the reach of this podcast, you know international that's something cool You've been I did your podcast a while ago and you've got a great podcast with good times with Steve Simone Thanks, and that's so cool about these podcasts is like the reach that we like interact with people like All over the world. Yeah, it's amazing I have to ask fun child is that I'm pretty cuz sometimes I live through things and I go that really happened or did I invent that to make My life more livable, you know what I mean?
Yeah And because I brought fun child to China last time I went to China and we were doing a stand-up show like in the back room of a bar In some like Hongjo or Sujo one of those cities and there was a guy there I'm almost certain this happens who was in medical school from India who flew from India to China Because he wasn't so my podcast and see my clips and wanted to meet me Crazy I think he's actually calling into the show right now get out of here. Yeah You know what I'm having trouble reading his name on the caller ID, but I think he's calling in to the show Hello This one of Steve's fans that's calling in that flew from India to China just to see him Wow, you sound very regal Yeah, not what people do you mean it doesn't sound regal? No, you do come from a royal family is your Mohindar is that your name? Oh, okay, why can't a mic?
You know what it's solid the cellular connection and the Wi-Fi in here is raging strong So I'm really glad that we can keep you on the line right now Now the where they were they were they are they easy to talk to I mean you flew you know, you know Sadness it is I Is that you speaking medically since you're gonna be a doctor or is that just a human connection thing that you saw? Okay, that's fair to say and how is meeting fun chow Swagger's a lot of confidence with that well Mike. I don't want to keep you too much longer I know that you know your minutes are racking up by calling internationally right now All right, thanks Mike Thanks for calling in wow You got some really cool fans man. Yeah, I will say that like I'm very my fans are honestly like really sweet cool fun Yeah, well dude I mean that's I mean you put out like what you hopefully want the kind of people that you want to attract Yeah to the show.
Yeah, like I'll have like families come out to me That's my favorite like when guys like in their late 20s through 50s bring their parents and stuff And then you get to hang out with like mom's being baked treats or people inviting you over for dinner and stuff It's the absolute best that's awesome. Now you said you worked with mincey as her personal assistant Yeah, do you have any stories that stick out to you or any like wild times because it's kind of interesting Have you watched the show I'm dying up here? I saw two episodes last year couldn't get into it I heard this season since it's even better. I want it to be a huge success because I love everybody on the show a bunch of my friends Yeah, like I have this thing and I'm conscious of it But I'm not gonna change like if you're from my neighborhood or if you're from Philly I'm gonna root for you no matter what if you're my family if you're my friends right or wrong I'm always I always have your back so whenever my shows whenever my friends are in shows I want to be the number one hit in the world I want all my friends the ball so because it makes me feel good Of course and actually like I guess maybe it's a reflection even of my own ego I'm like oh you don't think I'm cool my friends on a show right you see that and So you worked with Mitzi a lot then?
Yeah, I told this story on my podcast But nobody listening probably saw but this is a true story because I know you're Jim Carrey fan Yeah, and I that he was like a huge huge huge reason why I came to the comedy store All of my heroes in one way or another went through the store But what made Jim special was not only was he a stand-up, but he also did the comedic acting thing Yep, so I took classes at Second City because of Bill Mary and Farley and then I found my home at the comedy store So I would spend Sometimes 12 15 hours today with Mitzi and everyone's wild stories would come out And this story I like to share because it's it'll show you how Profoundly effects she had on all her comics because I went recently watched that Netflix documentary Jim and Andy Oh of the documentary So in that documentary they point out that how deep in the character Jim Carrey went To play Andy Kaufman that essentially Jim no longer existed and he was either Andy Kaufman or Tony Clifton All right So Mitzi told me a story about when they were filming that movie at the comedy store So and Jim Carrey as Andy Kaufman was on the set But he had no idea that Mitzi was they were doing the main room scene They were filming scene in the main room and Mitzi's in the back She's like the couches in the back by the mirror table main room green room And when Jim walks in he sees that she's there kicked everybody out shut down production And they finally got to connect again. So Jim Carrey did not drop character for anybody other than Mitzi sure That's amazing. I made it And just to show you just the profound respect respect and love she signed his immigration papers from Canada when he got that sitcom the duck factory Uh, she threw the premiere party at her house. She had stories about Jim's dad and mom like Without Mitzi sure.
I don't know if we have a Jim Carrey. Yeah, that's the truth I mean it did there's a lot of greats that oh everybody. Yeah, I mean from Richard Pryor I mean There's my favorite one of my favorite stories that my robin muym story about what robin told me when he came back and did a benefit Did you ever hear that story? No, this is another good one Um This was 2004 maybe and the comedy store was in such dire need that they could not afford to put a roof on the building Whoa like what is that four stories and we would have buckets in the original room whenever it rained So it would leak all the way through buckets everywhere.
Yeah, so I think a new roof was I don't know $100,000 or something We'll at least yeah, let's listen for that kind of property. Yes. Yeah, because the building's like 100 years old. Yeah So, uh, I was working for poly at the time And he reached out all the famous alums.
He reached out to letterman. Jim Carrey how we mandel Uh, I think bill mar even came back into the show. I never seen how he mandel crushed So I know for sure he did a main room show, but I mean this was back when we had fax machines That's how long ago this was and I sent the facts to robin's production office in like three minutes later Yeah, so I just got a factor. This is uh, oh Rob Williams is impossible to speak to poly and we're like it was like in ghostbusters.
We got one So now i'm like poly robin Williams is on them So now he's holding the phone out so I can hear and work with two little kids like robin Williams is on the phone Rob Williams is on the phone and biggest star in the world But just had questions about the random character. I need the chicken man should still come by the comedy store Like great because he just one of the guys yeah, it would be like, you know us going Yeah, who's all around still? Any my guys that I know there were like whenever I come back who am I gonna expect to see exactly and robin would come back I think this was his first time back. So maybe this was 2003 But I remember seeing them a few times after this But the coolest thing about it was not only did he come back to do the benefit show Which was a big deal because I don't think he had done stand up publicly in a long long time So everybody in hollywood all the agents and managers and public says everybody wanted to see this thing Rob Williams live in an intimate setting and robin knew that and so he also knew that it was a benefit So uh what he did is he bought half the tickets so then he could then comp all the industry Wow So i'm like rob Williams is awesome.
Yeah, does the show and goes into his own pocket And this what's makes it even better it was a glimmer of what the comedy store could be because at the time the comedy source of ghost town No pun intended and um there were nights that there were so few people there We wouldn't we could not do a show because we needed four audience members to do a show So there were times where people were there for an hour and a half and we're waiting for two more people to show up It was deserted the laugh factory was a hot club. It was right before ucb blew up Uh the improv was still doing okay, but comedy in general was dead It was the rise of reality television. It was before podcasting and youtube exploded stand up comedy So it was dead and when comedy died the comedy store was dead Now the comedy is the best thing in the world the comedy store is the best thing in the world Does that make sense? That's how totally twine they are So robin comes back and there is a line down the block and there are people Remember this was funny because like two days earlier there was a super hot chick and I had a beard and she was asking about robin Williams tickets and I would also add what my advice would be to show up the night of the show because you never know once we get the room set They might be able to squeeze people in so get here early have cash and be online So that night I shaved for the robin Williams thing and I'm gonna look like an animal seeding people And the lady talked to me and she didn't know that it was me excited to shave my beard like out of a movie I'm like how this is hilarious uh big shorty who's now Beyonce's bodyguard would come in and do fat to security The show was called fat Tuesday shorty's like, I don't know six eight five hundred pounds He was so big that every of the whole everybody was literally out of line like spilling out to the sidewalk He didn't have to say a word He was just texting his on his two way or whatever it was at the time Didn't even look up and he would just walk down the sidewalk texting and people would literally get into line And there's like that crazy electric energy And it was the first time I'd been around like show business stuff like I think there might have been security there for robin I don't remember I remember just groups of people publicists You know all those people that have like useless jobs that make everything they do seem important like robin ten minutes So the Jets and all those people so everybody's like waiting for robin and where's he gonna come from?
He's not returning the calls like where's his parking like like publicists and managers and road managers and like a million people And there's cones in the parking lot. I remember Sean pen pulling into the parking lot and pj PJ I was like One way call from heaven Hey robin, what's going on buddy? Hey, uh, just gonna tell you uh, sorry, uh, loving the story Loving the real life right now and uh, just gonna let you get right back into it. Thanks Robin.
Love you dude Right back to the story So, uh, I remember pj was working the parking lot and Sean pen showed up and this is how cool the comedy story is Everybody cool has been there when it was cool because Sean pen says this he goes to pj because working a lot He's like yeah, maybe hey man, uh Where do you recommend that I park because they're sold out next door? There's sold out on the street because if that's that 400 800 people showed up to try to get it Yeah, so then Sean pen says this pj goes well you can park here and sean goes Nah, man. I know the rules is parking lots for comics only how cool is that? Okay, so You heard all these stories about how cool the comedies could be here was tangible proof I put billy crystal and spiky in the center booth.
Jimmy found was there on my kids heads even bigger than mine He's got a jack-o-lantern head um And it's and i'm working the door and uh i'm getting tips and it's fun and everybody's It's packed house a day. I need to sound guy how to go get special live mics for robin because he didn't want one of these sticks And now we're just waiting for robin Williams and this guy just walks through the line wearing a hooded camouflage parker Pulls it down and he goes hey how's it going? Pops behind the counter knows exactly where he's going with robin Williams He was getting ready to he left the commie store next day one on the uso tour another reason i love that dude Okay, so I heard uh, you know there was rumors about robin stealing jokes and all this negative stuff Yeah, rob Williams comes out his lavalier mic doesn't work. Okay, and i'm like well that's the comedy store for you You come back and do a benefit show.
We can't even make what you need work like perfect perfect metaphor for what is the comedy store, right? So he takes it off And just he's like let's his theater training go and his first line is I've I think it was this one he was trying to get the mic to work his first line you walk down stage He said i've never been asked to do a benefit for a 20 million dollar piece of real estate before boom then riffs on the mic not working Throws that off. No microphone doesn't hour off of everything that's going on in the room Everything I remember somebody said something and uh somebody was wearing a comedy store But they weren't a door guy so robin was like the door guys are the ones paying the dues here You know whatever we're all like one of us one of us loving it right? He kills for an hour then he goes well I probably should get into some material and need to work out and then did an hour of stuff So he did a two hour show without a mic and murdered and it's so funny because we were just talking about how shorter is better for comedy Not when you're robin Williams.
Yeah, everybody was leaning in not loving it like creating joy. It was creating joy So it um was cathartic for me because i'd probably been out here three or four years I was complete. I was living in poverty. I was completely depressed.
I had no car Uh like everything just sucked in my life, but seeing the best in the world kill it like that in your home Made you realize that you're not crazy for having these dreams Okay, so at the end of the night, uh, robin has a party in that same green room of the main room And I think team was the manager at the time maybe it was before dean But they didn't want to cut the door guys until robin had left the building so i'm in an empty main room just standing at the front by the curtains And uh, they're like, you might uh look robin's party's wrapping up and now all those crazy publicist security managers all these people everybody's like Because he was just in the back with his buddies But now like all the hangers on and stuff are starting to get anxiety and make a big deal out of nothing So like see if you've got to get on the stage i'm like, what if somebody tries to get backstage again? I'm like, there's nobody in the main room So this is about an hour after the show and the main room's completely empty And you know how cool of a feeling that is where you're like an hour ago this thing was alive Oh, yeah So now i'm just on an empty main room stage trying to process everything my life What am i doing? How cool the night it was how lucky i was to have left Philly and be apart just part of something that cool but also like i don't know dawah It was so real it's the only way to describe it So i'm just standing on the stage and the curtain opens and it's robin's and he's right there and it's me and robin On an empty main room stage And it's like that bill mary moment again where you're like you have to say something So it's like uh mr. Williams and he smiled and you could just tell how nice he was you felt it They would call me robin I was like, okay mr.
robin's or something, you know like he's like call me robin's okay robin's like what's your name? My name's steve nice to meet you steve robin oh my god And i was like robin i was wanted to thank you for doing this benefit for the comedy store It was very kind to you and then he smiled really big anyone steve I didn't do this for the comedy store. I did this for you and all the other young comics Because the world needs this place. It's the only place in the world where a kid can show up with a dream and leave a movie star So he said i appreciate you thanking me, but if you really want to thank me make me a promise right now 15 years from now when you're the biggest comedian in the world you come back and do a benefit for the comedy store to make sure it's still going What that is the coolest story man the sweetest kind is like i think what it was He said he was probably such a sensitive guy and it been through himself Obviously that he could feel that maybe as radi piketer used to call to rub like i just needed something and that was like a Awesome.
Yeah, he was like 25 years from now when you're the biggest star in the world because i guess he could tell he was about 25 years older than me or something Was awesome and it also put in the perspective of how important the comedy store is yeah and just moments like that really put into Like especially as like a younger comic or somebody who's like Just been out here ups and downs like anything is still possible. Yeah, you know 100 Because it's easy to get in ruts sometimes Yeah, it's easy to like to be like things aren't going how i want them to be going Yes, you get these little reminders here and there and sometimes huge reminders that are like you're doing the right thing keep going down Yeah, god puts i would call them like freeway signs like you're driving you go my lost and then you go No, your dream is 100 miles away and you keep on driving you go Oh, i must have got off the wrong exit i know your dream is 70 miles away and then what starts to happen for me It was like oh i'm already living my dream there is no destination But when i was a vulnerable younger person that meant the world to me and even now like i was telling this to somebody the other Night we we don't realize the power we have to put joy into somebody's heart and how like one compliment I was talking to a younger comic that tom segore had given a compliment to where segore remembered his bit Like that's enough to let you starve for another six months because you're like somebody i love and respect saw something in me Yeah, and i think we have to be really conscious of how we touch each other's lives And that's why i've always tried my best just to be kind because we forget how easy it is To forget what it was like to be a scared kid on that patio with a comedy store You know like we're not only are you dealing with that i make the right decision i left my family and friends behind oh i can't pay rent i'm sleeping on a couch They told my car i can't get it back i lost my job i have a parking ticket i can't pay to get my car back all of that crazy life stuff Feeling like you might not belong there feeling like you might say the wrong thing if somebody does welcome you over So yeah, it's crazy. So it's so be nice be nice. I mean once so this is uh This is something just like nice that you did for me that was huge for me because you didn't know even Even know whenever he did this for me how broke i was as a comic and how like literally hungry i was i was on patty Oh this years ago and yeah, um and you're just like hey buddy Are you hungry you guys are about hungry and i was like i was so hungry i was so hungry and i was like yeah Um and uh he's like let's go get some pizza i did that yeah and and we walked down to uh to jose which we had it's the best Joses legit the pizza when people go house jose i go that's good pizza great pizza in any neighborhood and they have an LA is a blessing It's proof to me god's real.
Yeah, you know what i mean like you can hang out at the copies for go get a slice It's the best one too. Yeah, so we did that so you took me down there and we literally got pizza and uh you said give whatever you want to drink You got like a Coca-Cola or a root beer and uh we just sat and talked and uh That like Little thing that Steve did meant so much to me and that's just like a great example of like i do this thing every week on this podcast called the kindness Challenge where i i challenge uh the listeners to do something nice for somebody that's either a stranger or can be somebody that you know Uh and to write into the show and share their stories and i love share them on the podcast That's awesome So uh yeah, that's like a perfect example of like something little that you can do for somebody that can you don't even know what they're going through At the time and that like it was years ago and that's like something Out of the thousands of nice things that Steve does for people. It's like it really impacts people so it does But you know what the coolest thing about Because i alluded to like there was a time where my world was very dark It was just i was depressed man like for years And um I think it was because i was so focused on myself now when you like whenever you're going through depression and stuff whenever you're out in public Was it still were you still like the nice guy Steve that everybody like kind of knows? Yeah, so no i do remember once Uh, it's another reason why i love poly because there's paulley's persona and then there's the real part Poly that he rarely even shows to his friends like i would get glimpses of it and now i've known him for 20 years I get to see it more often but he really sweet guy and i ever once during those years when i was working for me Took me out the lunch because i did we're going out the lunch today he didn't make any He didn't Wasn't like hey, we're gonna go to lunch i've been concerned about you we're gonna have an intervention none of that Was like business as normal dude let's go And we go out the lunch and we're eating and everything's normal and then he dropped the hammer on me He was like what's going on what i mean he goes Your energy man what what's happening he goes Gee need help He was like, uh, this isn't you Uh, I know you might think it's funny because there's that thing in comedy right like when the darker you are and the more negative you are There's a humor to it and it's almost like you get rewarded for being a genius the more you hate everything And i'd read an interview with Jim carrey around the same time where he talked about um Why comedians sometimes like go crazy like why rotting danger field was so bitter at the end My George carlin was so bitter at the end and Jim was like when you look at things comedically you're looking for what's wrong So when you point out what's wrong you can laugh off of that and it goes what happens is when you train your brain over decades That constantly you look for what's wrong it collapses in on you So then I read that when I was probably 29 or 30 and I went okay, I can't live like that because I had already seen the effects of it in two or three short years And I went i'm gonna start to look for what's right.
So now I started to look at my comedy as a A comedic gratitude list like the underlying message to all my comedy was like isn't this awesome? Let's celebrate this and that's my whole thing. I think we it's so easy to get lost Uh, not enjoying life I think and I think that's an insult and there were times where like I would try to put on a brave face when I was going through that And there were honestly there were times I was in a great mood and laughing But like the circumstances of my life were so dark and I think I don't know if it's a chicken and an egg thing with you know positive thinking or whatever, but it just Started to try to take the focus off myself and started to figure out well That's not really true. I was always trying to be nice and kind but uh I thought I had to do it instead of sort of just like letting God do it for me.
That makes sense Yeah, I think that was the big like I was trying to be perfect and I broke under that and almost like you were forcing it rather than like Letting it work through you and it being or inorganic. Yeah, I had a surrender to god is what happens. Yeah, like I thought like maybe I could That if I was perfect, I didn't in a way like I didn't need geez I just everything gets religious with me and I hate to do that to people I don't want to hear it But it was just I had not I had not really had a mature version of faith yet Yeah, you know and whether it be Jesus or god or whether you believe in energy or whatever you believe in it's still relatable to a point where It can be you have to turn yourself over at some point like where you know humility right like oh your ego Yeah, yep, it's the best It really is the best did you grew up in a religious household? Yeah.
Yeah, yeah, yeah crazy fun Amazing like did you see uh chris pratt speech on the MTV music words? It's awesome No, we go we'd have a pot to piss in but we had laughs and I'm like yeah, and he goes and we still have laughs Yeah, a lot of laughs in my house. Yeah, my older brother funniest person I've ever met Yep, he would just break everybody's balls. It was like growing up with Eric Hartman and a van halen teacher Mean kid that would just hammer everybody's balls.
That's great. That's great. Let's get into this next segment called fanning out fanning out. Let's do I reached out to people on Instagram and twitter and asked people if they could ask Steve Simone any question what would it be?
And uh, I've got a list here so I'll have to get selected because we're on the regular questions. Yeah, I know that we had a lot of people who were asking questions Um This is a great one from twitter at tmas mat. What's your best memory of working with uh slash befriending ratty, right? Piper Okay, there's a lot involving wrestlers, but the first thing I thought of was the night I met his son and daughter at a coffee shop in Venice Um, and they just told me stories of dad from that perspective is gonna be so special Yeah, that was amazing and I felt like I was part of the family that night That was great.
That's so cool man. And like yeah dad stories. I never won like Ariel was like uh I don't know what happened but he has like his cute little daughter in the car. It's probably like six years old He's like okay, honey.
Daddy's gonna leave you in the car and if anybody comes near the car Just beat the horn and I'll come out and don't open the door for anybody but daddy But I guess somebody had done something to him and brought him out not to guy out with one shot and then came back Hey, who wants ice cream? You know what I mean? I remember I heard telling me that story and I remember cult telling me a story Where he was so happy to catch one of his little league games because he was always on the road and cult was only like five or six And uh, and that was like not t-ball and not literally were parents pitched So we're already got the pitch to his son and he kept on coming closer and closer off the mound and threw it underhand to him Here's like the toughest guy in the world that just wanted to be so sweet with his little kid Yeah, that was my favorite memory. That's awesome.
Yeah Uh, this is from Uh At this is an interesting one going off of the depressing era at matt uh wajtan on twitter what what's up matt? What's uh the darkest thought you've had about yourself that we probably wouldn't guess oh that i'm unworthy of forgiveness I think that's very common. I want to turn that in the comedy somehow I think um like all the misery in the world is our feelings of unworthiness and it's so funny to me that you could be like You're forgiven. I forgive you the world can be great for you, but not for me I really upset god with that one.
There's no way god could forgive me and it's hysterical. It really is funny, but yeah, you've you that yeah Uh At skeptic cool x three three probably an arree fan maybe hasty Simone have you ever experienced anything paranormal seen any ufo's or ghost ever played the weg Never wegia do not by the event freaks me out. I told my wife. I go whenever we started dating I go one thing That I will not allow like it's literally a deal breaker in the relationship do not play with the weg board and do not ever bring one No, we'll not do it But you've seen you've had some paranormal experiences anything at the commie store or anything general.
Yeah. Yeah, yeah I try to explain them all away. Uh one of the things r But they're probably terrestrial. I'm not saying there were spaceships.
Yeah, but uh, this was years and years ago And it was before I even knew I just started to listen to like art bell and coast to coast radio I still love all of that stuff because to me it's like fairy tales for grown-ups. I love it. Love it um And it was a crisp winter night And I was at the top of the driveway at my parents house and something just like told me to look up And all the way up at the tippy tippy topic where the stars are I saw a star That was a triangle And then I went oh, there was three stars that were like triangles I'm like that is weird. There are not stars and then they started to make right turns in the sky and disappeared And the coolest thing about that story was a friend of mine who uh is a former marine did like six combat tours Was in afghanistan and he was a sergeant and his guys woke him up and they had those binoculars And they saw something like that and he said steve it wasn't three different triangles It was one triangle that had triangles in each corner Because he saw something similar.
I think it's I think that was probably a military plane of some sort Uh, like I don't think it was like aliens. Um, and then you know Bianca the waitress. Yeah, she loves ufos too Yeah, so we were talking about ufos once was right after the china tour with feng chao. She was there to visit her brother Right, so we got trinkin beers and everybody's telling ufo stories Then i'm back in la for like two days and i'm hanging out by the pool during the day mid-day time And I go maybe I should bring my phone in case I say ufo and i'm like, please And I was hanging out by the pool and I saw this thing that looked like it was mylar balloons Tied together, but it wasn't so i'm like, oh my god, what is that?
And I think it was probably some sort of weather monitoring device or something But I typed in a youtube sherman oaks ufo and somebody else had captured it from a few years earlier. Oh weird It's a weird thing. I don't know what I think both of those are definitely ufos but could definitely be explained I've never like went into rooms in the commie store and felt like a presence Like at any time where you're like, uh, I first got to the comedy star. I used to pray for all the Souls that might be trapped there and I don't know if it was Um other comedians trying to give me the business Or because you know when you're new and people want to do pranks and stuff, but earlier on there I had felt Yaki as like I would call it the heebie gbs a couple times and once chairs went tumbling Uh another time I felt something walk by me and the lights popped off Hello steve It did and there's the dice story about the weegee board.
Do you want to hear that one? That's a scary voice Now I don't want to tell No, I'll tell it later. I don't want to okay. Yeah.
Yeah This is what happened. I was managing the comedy store the summer of 2001 You know what I don't like about this talk. I feel like I'm named dropping, but I'm not mean you're at the commie I'm specifically asking about the comedy store and you have a very very story. We told them.
Yeah, robin weem stories Also, I kind of pinched you into telling those I'm like Organically like I ever tell you that but like whenever like you saw my bookling and I have an album of robin There's literally stuff around steve so he's not named on he's being that's all right So uh, I was managed for the comedy so I've worked every job there. You're a manager at the commie store Yeah, I didn't realize that that you did that job too. Yeah, I started off on the phones Within three months And I got my job on the phones because I was paing on polies movie and I remember he saw me at three o'clock in the morning carrying a couch by myself I was so pissed that nobody else was working I was carrying couch down a flight of steps and polies walking up that he called me about Four o'clock in the morning because that was the last thing we were doing for the day and he said dude I'm gonna get you a job at the story because she busted your ass So uh, I I do want to put this out there because I did an AMA on reddit a few years ago And I so I still get questions from young comics and my advice has worked really hard be nice and keep showing up because that's all I did Okay, so I get my job answering phones three months later. They have to fire a manager for doing whip hits He went through all the whipped cream in the place.
They're like steve shows up early because nice everybody What is the other thing about like what is the comedy store that that's an actual thing that somebody gets fired for there's like Yeah, yeah, you know they got another whipped cream and then we got a fire them. Yep, all of it Okay, so now I managed the club I parked cars. That was my least favorite job. I bartended phones door I was dunking system and dunking was the talent coordinator.
I was mitzi assistant. I was polis assistant. I drove the van I did everything there. So I'm managing I had put a picture up in the manager's office of android ice clay because he was my comedy hero Uh before I even got to the comedy star cut an article out of the philadelphia daily news where chris rock another comedy hero of mine Told a story about advice dice gave him before he went and chopped bring the pain And I always kept that with me and dice had told chris rock to go back and watch rocky my favorite movie of all time And remind yourself why you got into the business in the first place and they talked about the conversation happening in front of A washer and dryer at the comedy store and now here.
I am my office is right outside that washer and dryer Okay, so dice had seen his picture on the wall and then we became friends Um, and I got to see the guy behind the persona who was a really sweet guy and then he would hang out with me like he was a door guy And then the one night the only night I was ever in the club by myself Because dice is like I gotta get home and you're gonna be all right. Yeah, because like usually door guys and waitresses would hang out You know like because it's an orphanage for grown-ups, but I guess maybe it's I can't remember if it was when dice would hang out in the manager's office People getting tambated and not because he's another guy if he doesn't like you he's gonna let you know what you know You know, so maybe that was it and I'm doing my paperwork and I would have to reconcile all the waitresses numbers count the cash and make a drop But dice had to get home and he was gonna be okay I'm like yeah So in the building for the first time it dawns me the first time ever by myself and it's probably 2 30 in the morning And dice was not he was gone moments moments Like I just felt the quiet of the building you can hear the ice machine and it's an old building so there's a lot of weird You're showing it in the stuff like that. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah so Probably three minutes later right above me in the room above me I've since explained it away in my brain that somebody was probably sleeping in there and moving a couch or something But what it sounded like was the growl of a hell hound like Yeah, but really loud and it shook the floor So, uh What do you do? Did I really hear that?
Did I not hear that? Let me call dice he just left it'll be like he's still in the room with me and I won't be scared So I go hey Andrew and he goes he could hear it my voice. He goes what happened and he said it with panic and that made me panic I go I don't know what happens. He goes tell me I go I think I heard the growl of a hell hounds and he went fuck the money leave the building now leave the building now There's things I never told you there's things I never told you and I'm like So now I have to ask nice and see if this was a goofy plate on me, but the story he told me was Uh He because I was a huge sam kennison fan Yeah, I'm like I think kennison out of the gate maybe was the best stand up ever just in terms of uh taking your life and being that vulnerable and Taking your pain and turning into something beautiful uh Out of the gate kennison was great.
So what I'm saying is I love all these guys and Andrew and sam were best friends Before they had their beef and he heat the story. I don't know this if I don't even know if I'm remembering this right But he said like uh say I'm starting to get darker and darker and started to experiment with drugs and the occult And above the main rooms there's danny's booth You know those back steps that go up to the yeah sound booth and there's a closet up there And that area up there supposed to be one of the most haunted parts of the building So sam wanted to play with the Ouija board there and it was andrew and two other guys and the things starts moving And everybody thinks comedians joking around and sam starts asking questions now it starts spinning And then he asked the demon to present itself and and andrew said they all heard the growl the hell hounds from the other side of closet doors And it started to bang on the other side of a padlock closet So he said he pushed everybody out of the way around down the steps and ran home to crestow That's how I remember the story Yeah And then the best ghost story ever What do you do the best I ever heard Uh was I worked once with tom wilson with from you know back to the future from back to the future Who's an unbelievable comic? Yeah, he kills it dude. He's an amazing stand up Completely clean and murders.
Um, he's also a Philly guy. So I love him even more But he told me a story once he was like stevie the way I looked at it was this he was I never had a problem Uh, because uh I figured if ghost were real then it's all real god jesus having hell all that He's like so everybody would talk about how haunted the main room was so uh my first night on the job work in the door I just walked in and challenged I challenged the spirits and I said uh if you mess with me He dropped he was like if you mess with me by the power of christ i'll send you straight to hell where you belong And he goes everybody else had incidences, but he never had a problem I'm like whoa biff pulling the ghost Wow and right as we're talking about all this stuff the interference I'm not sure what's joy in your eyes. I'm gonna look at it. I know yeah hilarious Yeah, no, I was just me fiddling with my headphone jack that has nothing to do with the tv I was fiddling with I was literally playing nervously with my headphone you didn't unplug it.
I didn't unplug it. Oh You did Any pizza left? Oh, I know um all right. Yeah, I mean there's uh we gotta get into this last segment But uh, andry themos are buddy one.
I love him. He went to Andrew. He wanted to ask you uh if you had to punch one serial mascot commercial character in the face which one would it be and why oh? I guess the easy answer would be to can't say I'm because it's like an easier shot You could try to work your hook could be the frog from smacks.
I love them all they've all brought so much joy My life I feel bad. I think that's why themos one bad question. I don't like I don't want to punch any of them They're all really nice and stuff. Come on.
No This voice changers like the worst thing I could do to steve. I don't know why I keep doing it The squirm that he does whenever I do it is priceless. Let's get into this last segment. Um sax talk, okay Okay You're gonna share a story of any sexual encounter and I'm gonna play some sweet sweet sax one underneath So whenever you're ready Go right ahead.
I got it's I think this covers what you're asking without making me embarrassed to tell it. Is that okay? Can I be creative? All right, so uh, it was like right after high school I was in college and I was uh hanging out with my brother and his friends and we're uh, and it was I feel I don't know if I should tell this I mean this story is pretty funny, but it's not necessarily about doing it Well, if it's about like sex stuff if it it's kind of like sex stuff, but it wasn't me doing it That'll work.
That's fine. I feel like i'm cheating you Do you want something more if you want to do something more direct you can but you can what I was gonna say was I was gonna tell the story about the first time I brought this all pimp All right, cool. That kind of fit. Yeah, sure.
All right, because I My my younger brother's always been very book smart And I've been like more street smart more people reading skills and the weird thing about brothers was when they were really little We were best friends, but then it was like I'm only were irish twins. I'm like a year older Almost a year older and uh, I was like you can't hang out with my friends your friend Like he had his friends. I had my friends, but then we got old enough We're all starting to hang out together. Does that make sense?
So we're out doing a night of underage drinking and Philly Side street and I'm looking out for my brother because I'm nervous that he's in the city He doesn't know what's going on so watch it out for him and we're on a tiny cobble street I think it was in center city near McGill and somewhere and I just hear high heels clicking and Two prostitutes running full speed around the corner and uh, I go oh, this is bad So I get my brother and his friend like I could see I could anticipate the problem he further was a problem So I shift across the street A car comes screaming around the corner and hits the brakes guy gets out And my little brother's not paying attention. I'm like mark it over here and he goes What why he being such a dick? I go watch out I go watch out for that pimp and my little brother goes That's a pimp like that like he had seen a superhero And as the pimp was mid-step He was taking a car antenna off a parked car and my little brother goes like that's a pimp The guy stopped and looked up my brother went like this like you're goddamn right And then he took the uh The antenna off and the girl pulled out mace and tried to spray the pimp and he knocked it out of her hand And then he started the Peter with it So that's almost sex Makes me. I don't know why I don't want to talk about sex.
I mean it's like that family guy french toast. Yes french fries Yes french kissing. I don't know these questions are weird I think I think that might be the most um Uh, uh, it might be the cleanest sex talk we've ever had would people really get into it and tell like details of like Yeah, I mean steve o talked about how his like whenever he Comes like uh and it gets on the floor his dog will eat his cum. So he does that on stage.
Yeah, he did he It was the first time he told it on this podcast. Yeah, that's that's really disgusting You know what I mean? Dude. Oh, you don't want to hear me talking about my dog eating my cum.
Yeah, that's just I love steve It's like so so pure of heart. You're just like why would anybody know? No, that's bad I'm just gonna share a story of like, you know somebody who's like professional who deals with sex And that's that's my that's my that was heartbreaking. No, and it was weird.
It was like No, I don't know. I don't know. I must be doing it. It's been happening lately.
I don't know. It's the ghost I mean, I think it happened in another episode. So I think there's a more ever have a ghost experience at the comedy store I felt once in the main room. I'm in the main room Uh just in the back of the main room.
Yep. I know I just felt a very very strange presence where on Mondays before Kill Tony was in the main room. This was years ago now. This probably would have been Five plus years ago.
Yeah, there wasn't anything going on on Mondays in the main room No, sometimes there'd be a bringer shell or something like that, you know But I used to actually go in the main room and I would sit on The stool on the main room stage and I would just sit there. It's cool And I just like think and I literally just take it in I just like kind of like Just be like how cool is this that I even like and that I was even like I've been there for a couple years that I could even Go in there and not get in trouble, you know, because if you're some random comic then they're big What are you doing in here? Like get out of here? Yeah, so there'd be people who kind of like walk by me Hey, they're what are you doing?
I'm like, he's not the best when you first look for comfortable and have friends at the store Yeah, your name. Yeah, it's nice. Yeah, so I used to just sit in there and just kind of think about like how many legends Had touched the stage that I was sitting on I literally look at the old Marquis and it wasn't lit very well And uh some nights I would um it would be completely pitch black and it would just be Uh, you could go around the long way to go to the bathroom that of the hall that connects between the original Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, so I was going through the main room once and uh, I like started to like walk Um like around there and like I literally like stopped me like as I was like walking like it was complete darkness And I just felt this overwhelming like negative negative energy I was like I like I froze for a second and then I I like got out of there quickly like I bolted out of it I ran out of there once because of that. Yeah, you did like this really weird vibe But I was like this something's funky in here right now And I do not want to be a part of it And it was all dark and dingy and I was like this is something's going on So that's like really the only time that I've felt and then sometimes um I had to I've had to go up the back stairs to the belly room where the uh the offices used to be uh, And uh, there's a couple times where it was completely black back there I had to try to go up to like Tommy's old office or something like that And there's a couple times like whenever I went up there Nobody was up there And then like I just had to come back down the stairs and complete black with just like a phone like a flash down on my phone And I felt like literally I started running down the stairs because I could feel like something like weird was going on Yeah, yeah, yeah, just weird feelings more like It's amazing what we can pick up on you know we were there is that mic from India again Mike's going back in for video.
Yeah, dude Steve thank you so much for this is the podcast man Come back on good times because I'm doing like shorter versions where we're just talk about what we're grateful for Yeah, I think that's a great exercise for people. Yeah, uh, so listen to uh, Steve's podcast good time to Steve Simone And is there anything else you want to plug before we get out here? No, that's it man. All right.
Love you buddy. Love you too