PODCAST · comedy
Don't Sit in the Front!
by James Hillmer
Don't Sit in the Front! is a podcast about the love of standup comedy, alternative comedy, and keeping it all alive through a difficult time. Host James Hillmer (@jdhillmer) interviews comedians, writers, and general fans of standup about their favorite comedians and personal connection to this unique art form we love so much!Host: James Hillmer is a Los Angeles based researcher and standup lover. Music: @chrishellking on IGArt: @memorybloomstudio on IG 1. Always punch up. 2. Keep swinging.
Episodes
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Ep 70 - 2021 Yearend Wrap Up w/ Kari Assad
Kari Assad (Twt: @kariassad; IG: @assadkarirocks) came back to help me wrap up the year and talk about some of our favorite moments from the year standup returned from quarantine. We talk a LOT about Pen15's final season just cause I like it a lot. We talk about new live booked shows we liked,...
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Ep 69 - A Very Thicc WI Christmas
I racked my brain thinking of a Christmas-related standup special or album to talk about and the closest thing I could come up with is David Sedaris's reading of "Santaland Diaries," a humorous essay about his time working as a mall Santa's elf (link below). I talked to my friend Michael back in…
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Ep 68 - British Comedy, Fringe Festival, and Ahir Shah's "Dots" w/ Victoria Caudle
I talked to my friend Victoria (@nureonjongi) who is an encyclopedia of current British standup. We talked about Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Korean standup comedy and its potential, and a bit about Ahir Shah's "Dots" (HBO Max). Here is a list Victoria provided of comedians she saw at the 2018…
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Ep 67 - Katie Novotny
A couple weeks ago I ran into Katie Novotny (IG: @kathnovotny) at a comedy show and we chatted about being from the midwest and why we like LA. We talked about comedy and then I invited her on the show and here we are! She's great! We talked about standup vs. sketch and improv, Chicago and NY vs....
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Ep 66 - Jen Saunderson Returns!
Jen Saunderson (@jensaunderson) returned to give updates on her crazy year and also what getting back out there and doing shows has been like. It was great to catch up! You can hear Jen on the wonderfully funny and informative horror movie podcast, Everything is Scary! Love you all, stay safe. 1....
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Ep 65 - Monique Moreau
I talked to Monique Moreau (Twt: @bigbadbutt, IG: @moniqueandjiminy) about standup, taking a break and coming back to it, neuro diversity, getting out of rural hometowns and how standup is and isn't like being a concert pianist. Monique has a show coming up at the small room at Largo that we…
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Ep 64 - "The Last Temptation of Krust" (Simpsons S09E15)
I had my good friend Ed back on the pod to talk about more representations of standup with a 1998 episode of the Simpsons, "The Last Temptation of Krust." Krusty the Clown performs discovers that his offensive material is out of date and becomes a Carlin-esque rant comic but ultimately sells out....
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Ep 63 - Halloween Special
Happy Halloween! Pow and I watched an episode of Ghost Adventures about the Comedy Store and talked about our own ghost near-sightings.
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Ep 62 - Joe Raines
I talked to Joe Raines (@joemfraines) about his old outdoor show, Yellahammered, I asked him the questions I ask every comic, and we both watched Eddie Izzard's "Dress to Kill" (1999). Joe had some new insights to updating the club vs. alt distinction and good stories from doing the road some…
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Ep 61 - This Is My Life (1992) w/ Kari Assad
I convinced Kari Assad (IG: @assadkarirocks, Twt: @kariassad) to watch this little-known movie about standup, This Is My Life (1992). The movie is directed by Nora Ephron and stars Julie Kavner as standup comic Dottie Ingels. It's a weird little time capsule of 90s notions of what a standup…
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Ep 60 - Listener Q and A
Pow moved back to LA so they came over and helped me work through listeners' questions. We take two steps forward and three steps back in figuring out the alt vs. club distinction, make some predictions for comics that will be big in the coming year, and dig a bit more into my origins of liking...
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Ep 59 - Sleepwalk With Me (2012)
I talked about Mike Birbiglia's semi-autobiographical movie Sleepwalk With Me (2012) with return guests, Dan Frey and Casey Gates Frey! Dan Frey is a novelist and screenwriter. You can check out his book, The Future is Yours anywhere books are sold. You can find dan @wordsbyDanFrey...
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Ep 58 - Mike Mulloy of Faded Comedy
I talked to Mike Mulloy (IG: @fakemikemulloy; Tw: @niceonlineboy) who runs my favorite comedy show in LA, Faded (@fadedcomedyla). We talked about his storied career on social media platforms, smart-assery, and a whole lot about the recent history of Faded. fadedcomedyla.com for tickets....
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Ep 57 - Anna Valenzuela
I had a delightful conversation with Anna Valenzuela (@annavisfun) about being honest with bummer topics, straight edge vs. sobriety, standup and antiquated terminology, and a whole lot else even before getting into the questions I ask every comic. You can check out Anna's podcast 12 Questions...
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Ep 56 - Christine Medrano
I had a really fun chat with Christine Medrano (IG: @chrissymeds) looking back at the horrors of zoom, the bright spots of comedy outside, growing up in America and Canada's respective Midwests, and the questions I ask every comic with some new ones sprinkled in. Hope everyone's doing well. Check...
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Ep 55 - Reactions to Tig Notaro's "Drawn"
I hopped on Zoom with my good friend Michael Egly for another Labor Day Weekend installment of Thicc WI Accent (that's what I'm calling the episodes when I talk about a new special, show, what-have-you in the standup world with a non-comic friend). We talked about Tig Notaro's "Drawn" (HBO), a...
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Ep 54 - Nathan Lund
I nerded out about comedy at Nathan Lund (@nathanlundcomedy on IG, @nathanlund on Twitter). Nathan is a Colorado-based comic and cohost of the Chubby Behemoth podcast with Sam Tallent. I told him ahead of time I want an oral history of the Denver comedy scene and he delivered! Check out his…
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Ep 53 - Thicc WI Accent vol. 4 w/ Pow
Pow and I talked about the end of Hacks Season 1, the state of the pod, and broke down the whole first season of PAUSE with Sam Jay (HBO Max). The live standup shows I shouted out in the intro are This Is Different!...
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Ep 52 - Candy Lawrence
I had a blast talking with Candy Lawrence (@comedylawrence) about coming back to standup after a hiatus and why comedy should be at 9am. Her pug, Buster also showed up on the Zoom call and I love him. Go look at Buster on her IG and meet Beverly while you're at it. Candy's opening for Maria…
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Ep 51 - Andrew Orolfo
Ep 51 - I talked with Andrew Orolfo (@andrew_orolfo) (The Late Late Show with James Corden, Jo Koy’s In His Elements) coming fresh from recording a set for Comedy Central, about his past working with kids, touring colleges and NACA (Crashing fans will know), and the questions I ask every comic....
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EPISODE 50! w/ Casey Gates Frey
I had Casey Gates Frey (Twt: @caseygates, IG: @theladybrain) on to talk about Vir Das's "Ten on Ten." I also had Casey turn the questions I ask every comic back on me. Thanks so much for everyone who's listened so far and new listeners I've gained along the way! Link for the first of four…
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Ep 49 - Kaitlyn Jeffers
I talked to Kaitlyn Jeffers (@jeffernaut, IG: @_kaitlynjeffers) about comedy and punk, her work with the Hard Times punk news satire site, and the questions I ask every comic. Kaitlyn hosts and produces a booked show,This Is Different! with friend of the show, Kari Assad. Their next show is…
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Ep 48 - Carter Glascock Returns!
Carter Glascock (@carter_glascock) returns to give updates about doing sets in person, taping a set in Vegas for Laughs After Dark (Amazon), and to indulge me in talking about King of the Hill S02E16 - "Traffic Jam" aka the origin of Booda Sack.
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Ep 47 - American: The Bill Hicks Story (2011) w/ Joe Felix
Joe Felix (@joefelix92) returned to talk about going back on stage, the open mic atmosphere and more. I asked him about the possibility of his definition of alt vs. club, if socialism and standup comedy are commensurable, and we both watched the 2011 documentary, American: The Bill Hicks Story…
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Ep 46 - Thicc WI Accent vol. 3 w/ Michael
I recorded an episode in Milwaukee, WI with my good friend Michael. We talked about his work with a food pantry, not so ideal conditions to see standup, and Beth Stelling's "Girl Daddy" (HBO Max). 1. Always punch up 2. Keep swinging
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Ep 45 - Dina Nina Martinez!
I talked to Dina Nina Martinez (@dinaninamartinez) in Madison, WI! She was recently on the cover of Madison magazine and runs Lady Laughs Comedy (@ladylaughscomedy). Lady Laughs has a monthly show #ExtraAFComedy (@extraafcomedy) with both online and in-person events. I talked to Dina about…
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Ep 44 - Kane Holloway
I talked to standup comic Kane Holloway (IG: @kaneholloway) of Well Actually (@wellactuallypod) and Don't Take Bullshit From Fuckers about comedy in Washington vs. LA, knowing when to leave a city, and a pretty gnarly "worst comedy memory" road story. Check out Kane's Album, "Can't See Straight"...
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Ep 43 - Reactions to Bo Burnham's "Inside" w/ Pow
Pow returned for another installment of Thicc WI Accent. We watched Bo Burnham's "Inside" (Netflix). We talked about this musical and darkly comic chronicle of quarantine life while contrasting it with our own lives spent inside. 1. Always punch up 2. Keep swinging 3. Go outside
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Ep 42 - Terence Hartnett of Down by the River Podcast
Episode 42 - I talked to comic Terence Hartnett (IG: @hahartnett; Twt: @terencehartnett) about his experience doing Down by the River (@downbytheriverpod) where he lived in a van and drove around interviewing comics displaced by the pandemic. Down by the River is a great podcast to hear what…
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Ep 41 - Hacks Ep 1 and 2 w/ Kari Assad
I watched the first two episodes of Hacks (HBO Max) and talked about it with Kari Assad (IG: @assadkarirocks; Twt: @kariassad). Kari updates us on her experiences doing open mics and going back onstage.
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Ep 40 - "Now I'm like a Bobby" w/ Diana Hong
Diana Hong (@wellhongd) returned to give some updates about going back on stage. We talked about being ready to go outside or not, the in-between we're in of regular standup shows, what's going to come back and how, and a general in-between weirdness. I also made her talk about King of the Hill.…
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Ep 39 - "He can't sit in the front 'cause he can't take it" w/ Pow
Ep 39. This was a silly one. I talked to my friend Pow for an experimental (hopefully recurring?) segment called "Thicc Wisconsin Accent," where we analyze how comedy hits different coming from different corners of the US. We watched John Mulaney's 2018 Netflix special, John Mulaney: Kid Gorgeous...
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Ep 38 - "So was Red"
This week I checked back in with Katrina Davis (@katrinasivad) about getting back on stage in outdoor spaces. I talk up front about some of the stresses of the in-between phase we're in and a little bit about Nick Skardarasy's pandemic-borne special, Thin Walls....
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Ep 37 - State of the Pod
It's just me! :O I wanted to slow things down and mix up content a bit. I updated a bit on plans for the podcast as I wait a little longer for more people to be vaccinated and try to do more in-person interviews. In this episode I talked about not quite feeling up to going to see outdoor standup...
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Ep 36 - Rivers Langley
I talked to standup comic and host of The Goods From the Woods podcast, Rivers Langley! (@riverslangley). We nerded out hard. This was a long one. Rivers talked about comedy in Alabama, running shows in Los Angeles, and doing the "Corona Diaries" episodes documenting dissent into quarantine...
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Ep 35 - Julian Fernandez
This was a lot of fun! I talked with standup comic, impressionist, and voice actor Julian Fernandez (@julianfcomedy). I talked with them about standup, their gift of manipulating their voice, and how they approach writing material incorporating all that into their set. They have a new podcast...
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Ep 34 - Hysterical (2021) with Casey Gates Frey
This week I watched the new documentary, Hysterical (Dir: Andrea Nevins, 2021; FX/Hulu) and talked about it with return guest, Casey Gates Frey (@caseygates). The documentary is an awesome look at some history of women standup comics and issues facing women in comedy still today. I highly…
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Ep 33 - Notes From the Bathroom Line w/ Amy Solomon
This week I talked to Amy Solomon (@amybethsol) about her collection of essays, humor, cartoons and all kinds of funny goodness from women comedians. It's called Notes From the Bathroom Line: Humor, Art, and Low-Grade Panic from 150 of the Funniest Women in Comedy. You can find it at...
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Ep 32 - Keith Carey
I nerded out about standup at Keith Carey (@keithtellsjokes). Keith has a podcast called This is Not a Show (IG: @thisisnotashowpod; Twt: @notashowpod). He's also got an album "Forever Nap" you can get on vinyl and streaming: https://keithcarey.bandcamp.com/album/forever-nap The Korean punk band…
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Ep 31 - River Butcher
I got to talk with Rhea "RB" Butcher (@rheabutcher) about their new album, Pull Yourself Up by Your Bootleg. They're hands down one of my favorite comics and I'm glad I got to talk to them about comedy and what it looks like as we are hopefully coming out of this rough time for it. Check out…
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Ep 30 - Kyle Ayers
This week I talked with Kyle Ayers about his album, Happiness which you can find anywhere you find music OR pick it up as a vinyl LP at kyleayers.com. It was my favorite standup album of 2020 and reminds us why we miss live standup. Kyle also has his podcast, Never Seen It. Check both out. Kyle...
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Ep 29 - Angie Stocker
This week I talked with Angie Stocker! (@highlyangie) She’s a comic who has an Etsy shop centered around weed culture, Highly Crafty (@gethighlycrafty) She also has a series of Youtube videos doing crafts while high with other comics. She’s done comedy in New York and LA and is also an awesome…
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Ep 28 - Punchline (1988) w/ Holly Anabel Brown and Brad Lewandowski
This week I watched the 1988 Sally Field and Tom Hanks vehicle, Punchline, an interesting time capsule of the 80s comedy boom. I'm joined by returning guest, Holly Anabel Brown (@hollybrowncomedy) and one of her Well Actually (@wellactually pod) cohosts, Brad Lewandowski (@braddoesntgram). Check...
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Ep 27 - Katrina Davis
Ep 27 - Katrina Davis @katrinasivad - I talked with Katrina Davis about the silver linings of online comedy and no commute, coming to LA early in her standup career, and representations of standup in shows about comics. This was fun! You can find Katrina’s filmed sets at her website...
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Ep 26 - Jackie Kashian
Ep 26 - I had the pleasure of talking with standup legend and one of my favorite comics, Jackie Kashian (@jackiekashian). We talked about how she’s utilized Zoom and other platforms to keep working on material for an album and special that was in the works before the pandemic hit. She basically...
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Ep 25 - Dan Frey
Ep 25: I talked to science fiction novelist and screen writer, Dan Frey (@wordsbydanfrey). His novel, The Future is Yours is out 2/9 on Del Rey, but you can pick it up for preorder at links below. It is also available as a full cast audiobook on Audible. The book is a very innovative look at what...
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Ep 24 - Carter Glascock
This week I talked to Carter Glascock (Twt/IG: @carter_glascock) about coming up in the Nashville comedy scene and recording his album, "The Crystal Pistol" (Out now on Radland Records (link below). We also watched Richard Pryor's "Live in Concert" (1979). Check out Carter's album, one of my...
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Ep 23 - Jen Saunderson
I talked with Jen Saunderson (@jensaunderson) about coming up in the Seattle/PNW comedy scene, her horror movie podcast, Everything is Scary (@PodScary), and we both listened to Elvira Kurt’s 1999 album, “Kitten With a Wit.” This was a lot of fun! https://jensaunderson.com/ 1. Always punch up 2....
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Ep 22 - Smart Funny & Black
In this episode I talked with my good friend, Joseph Harris-Johnson (@helloneverhurts), a PhD student who studies queerness, social media and gamification. We reminisced about one of our favorite live shows, Smart Funny & Black hosted by Amanda Seales. We also watched her special "I Be Knowin."...
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Ep 21 - Mandee Johnson and Super Serious
In this first episode of 2021 I talked with photographer, show producer and comedy lover Mandee Johnson (@mandeephoto) about her book Super Serious: An Oral History of Los Angeles Independent Stand-up Comedy. The book is an amazing coffee table-style book of photographs and oral history…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Don't Sit in the Front! is a podcast about the love of standup comedy, alternative comedy, and keeping it all alive through a difficult time. Host James Hillmer (@jdhillmer) interviews comedians, writers, and general fans of standup about their favorite comedians and personal connection to this unique art form we love so much!Host: James Hillmer is a Los Angeles based researcher and standup lover. Music: @chrishellking on IGArt: @memorybloomstudio on IG 1. Always punch up. 2. Keep swinging.
HOSTED BY
James Hillmer
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Don't Sit in the Front! have?
Don't Sit in the Front! currently has 70 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Don't Sit in the Front! about?
Don't Sit in the Front! is a podcast about the love of standup comedy, alternative comedy, and keeping it all alive through a difficult time. Host James Hillmer (@jdhillmer) interviews comedians, writers, and general fans of standup about their favorite comedians and personal connection to this...
How often does Don't Sit in the Front! release new episodes?
Don't Sit in the Front! has 70 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
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You can listen to Don't Sit in the Front! on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Don't Sit in the Front!?
Don't Sit in the Front! is created and hosted by James Hillmer.
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