1 00:00:02,520 --> 00:00:03,680 Speaker 1: Comedy saved me. 2 00:00:03,960 --> 00:00:06,440 Speaker 2: Can we just talk really quick about stretching before we 3 00:00:06,480 --> 00:00:07,920 Speaker 2: get started, because. 4 00:00:09,280 --> 00:00:11,039 Speaker 1: That is the number one thing. 5 00:00:11,160 --> 00:00:13,680 Speaker 2: Like, you can work out all you want, but if 6 00:00:13,720 --> 00:00:16,840 Speaker 2: you don't stretch as you get older, you need I 7 00:00:16,880 --> 00:00:17,880 Speaker 2: mean you're gonna fall. 8 00:00:18,239 --> 00:00:20,280 Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean I'm gonna seize up at some point. 9 00:00:20,720 --> 00:00:22,840 Speaker 3: I used to tell people at the gym that I 10 00:00:22,920 --> 00:00:24,639 Speaker 3: used to go to. I just had a gym, put 11 00:00:24,640 --> 00:00:28,200 Speaker 3: it here in my house, nice like a pull setup. 12 00:00:28,440 --> 00:00:30,920 Speaker 3: But I would tell like these younger kids, you know, 13 00:00:31,080 --> 00:00:33,400 Speaker 3: like I see younger kids who are like the reserves 14 00:00:33,440 --> 00:00:35,680 Speaker 3: are National Guard, and they come in their pet uniforms 15 00:00:35,920 --> 00:00:36,479 Speaker 3: and they're. 16 00:00:36,280 --> 00:00:38,680 Speaker 4: Like, hey, big Sarage, why are you stretching so long? 17 00:00:38,720 --> 00:00:41,159 Speaker 3: I was like, cause the moment you guys hit thirty 18 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:46,640 Speaker 3: and you don't stretch correctly, you pull a muscle, You're done. 19 00:00:46,880 --> 00:00:47,440 Speaker 4: You're done. 20 00:00:47,880 --> 00:00:51,360 Speaker 3: So like, I spend a significant amount of time stretching 21 00:00:51,400 --> 00:00:54,160 Speaker 3: like full body, regardless of what I'm doing that day. 22 00:00:54,280 --> 00:00:56,800 Speaker 4: It's like, you got to stretch every muscle. 23 00:00:56,800 --> 00:00:58,160 Speaker 3: I used to tell, you know, I used to tell 24 00:00:58,160 --> 00:01:00,960 Speaker 3: my soldiers the bad guys don't care if it was 25 00:01:01,040 --> 00:01:06,400 Speaker 3: leg day or strength day. You gotta be ready whole 26 00:01:06,400 --> 00:01:10,160 Speaker 3: body to fight with everything you got. So every day 27 00:01:10,200 --> 00:01:14,039 Speaker 3: it's like, I have a very specific stretching regimen that 28 00:01:14,200 --> 00:01:17,760 Speaker 3: hits every muscle group because you know, I don't know 29 00:01:17,800 --> 00:01:20,720 Speaker 3: if after I do my strength training stuff, if I'm 30 00:01:20,720 --> 00:01:23,720 Speaker 3: going to literally have to you know, a friend will 31 00:01:23,760 --> 00:01:25,440 Speaker 3: call me and hey, can you can you work on 32 00:01:25,560 --> 00:01:25,920 Speaker 3: my movie? 33 00:01:25,920 --> 00:01:28,800 Speaker 4: I need somebody to run up a hill wearing a rucksack. 34 00:01:28,959 --> 00:01:31,360 Speaker 3: So, you know, full body training every day, even though 35 00:01:31,959 --> 00:01:34,600 Speaker 3: not in the army anymore, it's just what you gotta do. 36 00:01:34,760 --> 00:01:35,399 Speaker 1: It's built in. 37 00:01:35,440 --> 00:01:39,279 Speaker 2: But it's just so huge for everybody in their everyday life, 38 00:01:39,319 --> 00:01:42,360 Speaker 2: Like you can't even stress it enough. And it's always 39 00:01:42,360 --> 00:01:44,720 Speaker 2: the last thing anyone thinks of. And you know, my mom, 40 00:01:44,800 --> 00:01:47,080 Speaker 2: she's eighty, she walks every day and I'm like, ma, 41 00:01:47,240 --> 00:01:47,920 Speaker 2: do you stretch? 42 00:01:48,680 --> 00:01:48,920 Speaker 3: No? 43 00:01:49,520 --> 00:01:51,320 Speaker 2: And I'm like, oh my god, do you know that 44 00:01:51,400 --> 00:01:54,960 Speaker 2: all you just just fall once and it's all over. 45 00:01:55,240 --> 00:01:58,600 Speaker 2: It's because it really is like your rubber bands or 46 00:01:58,640 --> 00:02:02,720 Speaker 2: your muscles in your tendons and all the ligaments and stuff. 47 00:02:02,720 --> 00:02:06,240 Speaker 2: And if it all gets tightened up, how are you 48 00:02:06,320 --> 00:02:08,360 Speaker 2: going to be able to catch yourself if you trip 49 00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:08,960 Speaker 2: on something? 50 00:02:09,639 --> 00:02:11,560 Speaker 4: Yeah, it's not cool and it's not sexy. 51 00:02:11,600 --> 00:02:16,120 Speaker 3: But no, being laid up with a cast on or 52 00:02:16,120 --> 00:02:18,800 Speaker 3: a whatever for three weeks is even less cool and 53 00:02:18,840 --> 00:02:21,280 Speaker 3: even less sexy. Yeah, when you're just sitting there just 54 00:02:21,320 --> 00:02:24,360 Speaker 3: eating garbage because you can't do stuff. So it's been 55 00:02:24,400 --> 00:02:29,120 Speaker 3: a big part of my mental health journey, you know, 56 00:02:29,200 --> 00:02:30,640 Speaker 3: now that I'm not in the arm anymore. It's like 57 00:02:30,680 --> 00:02:33,240 Speaker 3: one of the few things that just keeps me. 58 00:02:33,200 --> 00:02:35,639 Speaker 2: Going, Wow, Well, I'm so glad we have this discussion 59 00:02:35,680 --> 00:02:37,720 Speaker 2: because I just want to say I told you so to. 60 00:02:37,639 --> 00:02:39,560 Speaker 1: My mom and all of my friends. 61 00:02:39,560 --> 00:02:41,639 Speaker 2: You give me a hard time, but when I yell 62 00:02:41,680 --> 00:02:42,960 Speaker 2: at them for not stretching. 63 00:02:43,360 --> 00:02:44,160 Speaker 1: One last question. 64 00:02:44,040 --> 00:02:45,480 Speaker 2: About this, because I know it's not really even a 65 00:02:45,480 --> 00:02:49,440 Speaker 2: part of this, but do you stretch before and after 66 00:02:49,680 --> 00:02:50,640 Speaker 2: or just after. 67 00:02:50,600 --> 00:02:57,200 Speaker 3: Or just before before, before and after, okay, before stretching. 68 00:02:57,360 --> 00:03:00,560 Speaker 3: I do like a lot of dynamic stretching because you 69 00:03:00,560 --> 00:03:02,920 Speaker 3: want to you want to loosen up and warm up 70 00:03:02,960 --> 00:03:06,280 Speaker 3: the muscles, but you don't want to overwork them before 71 00:03:06,280 --> 00:03:07,160 Speaker 3: you start lifting a weight. 72 00:03:07,280 --> 00:03:08,960 Speaker 4: So just like I do it. 73 00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:10,480 Speaker 3: I'm a star trek nerd and I call it the 74 00:03:10,560 --> 00:03:14,880 Speaker 3: seven to nine seven of nine stretching and do everything 75 00:03:14,880 --> 00:03:18,919 Speaker 3: for seven to nine reps. Just to get the muscles loose, 76 00:03:19,280 --> 00:03:23,440 Speaker 3: just ready to go, and then post workout a lot 77 00:03:23,520 --> 00:03:27,079 Speaker 3: of static stretching, so a lot like holding, pulling, holding 78 00:03:27,120 --> 00:03:31,800 Speaker 3: for like seven to nine seconds usually, and it's literally 79 00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:33,960 Speaker 3: those numbers are literally because of Star Trek. 80 00:03:34,040 --> 00:03:34,400 Speaker 4: That's it. 81 00:03:34,440 --> 00:03:37,720 Speaker 3: There's no scientific reason behind seven to nine seconds. 82 00:03:37,840 --> 00:03:38,760 Speaker 4: I love it. 83 00:03:38,800 --> 00:03:39,800 Speaker 1: I love it. 84 00:03:39,760 --> 00:03:43,440 Speaker 2: It's really important and I'm grateful that I just got 85 00:03:43,440 --> 00:03:45,880 Speaker 2: to pick your brain about it because you definitely know 86 00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:48,160 Speaker 2: what you're talking about. And by the way, if you 87 00:03:48,360 --> 00:03:52,640 Speaker 2: just just checking us out right now, Tom Tran is 88 00:03:52,760 --> 00:03:57,640 Speaker 2: with me in studio via zoom, and I probably should 89 00:03:57,640 --> 00:04:00,760 Speaker 2: give him a proper introduction, but I also feel like 90 00:04:00,800 --> 00:04:02,920 Speaker 2: we need to take a quick break first before we 91 00:04:02,960 --> 00:04:03,560 Speaker 2: get started. 92 00:04:04,360 --> 00:04:05,600 Speaker 1: So would you mind. 93 00:04:06,520 --> 00:04:09,640 Speaker 2: After this great stretch talk that, I mean, take a minute, gho, stretch, 94 00:04:09,680 --> 00:04:11,360 Speaker 2: do what you gotta do, and come back and join us, 95 00:04:11,400 --> 00:04:15,200 Speaker 2: because Tom Tran is here on Comedy Saved Me, and 96 00:04:15,240 --> 00:04:16,400 Speaker 2: you're not going to want to miss. 97 00:04:16,160 --> 00:04:23,400 Speaker 1: This Comedy Saved Me. 98 00:04:23,560 --> 00:04:26,240 Speaker 2: Welcome to the Comedy Save Me Podcast, the show where 99 00:04:26,240 --> 00:04:29,840 Speaker 2: we dive into the power of laughter, the struggles behind 100 00:04:29,839 --> 00:04:32,960 Speaker 2: the punchlines, and the stories of how comedy can heal, 101 00:04:33,080 --> 00:04:37,279 Speaker 2: uplift and even save lives. If you like this podcast, 102 00:04:37,320 --> 00:04:39,359 Speaker 2: thank you so much for listening. It really means a 103 00:04:39,360 --> 00:04:41,839 Speaker 2: lot to all of us. You may also enjoy a 104 00:04:41,839 --> 00:04:44,559 Speaker 2: couple of other podcasts produced by the buzz Night Media 105 00:04:44,600 --> 00:04:48,239 Speaker 2: production company called Music Saved Me, which I also host, 106 00:04:48,800 --> 00:04:51,840 Speaker 2: and another podcast called Taken a Walk, which is hosted 107 00:04:51,839 --> 00:04:54,440 Speaker 2: by the amazing buzz Night himself, who is an incredible 108 00:04:54,480 --> 00:04:58,440 Speaker 2: music historian. You will be blown away at his conversations 109 00:04:58,480 --> 00:04:59,919 Speaker 2: with people in the industry. 110 00:05:00,200 --> 00:05:01,480 Speaker 1: It's pretty cool. 111 00:05:01,800 --> 00:05:05,760 Speaker 2: I am your host, Lynn Hoffman, and today I'm so excited. 112 00:05:05,800 --> 00:05:10,239 Speaker 2: I'm joined by the hilarious and inspiring Tom Tran. Tom 113 00:05:10,320 --> 00:05:12,840 Speaker 2: is not just someone who brings the jokes. He is 114 00:05:13,160 --> 00:05:17,560 Speaker 2: proof that comedy can be a lifeline, a coping mechanism, 115 00:05:18,040 --> 00:05:20,760 Speaker 2: and a bridge to a connection. We're going to talk 116 00:05:20,760 --> 00:05:23,760 Speaker 2: about his journey as a military vet, the moments where 117 00:05:23,839 --> 00:05:26,680 Speaker 2: humor pulled him through tough times, and hopefully share some 118 00:05:26,800 --> 00:05:31,320 Speaker 2: laughs along the way. No pressure, Tom Tran, Welcome to 119 00:05:31,400 --> 00:05:34,480 Speaker 2: Comedy Saved Me. Now, I just want to make sure 120 00:05:34,480 --> 00:05:36,520 Speaker 2: I get this correct. You are a military vet. You 121 00:05:36,560 --> 00:05:41,279 Speaker 2: are a Purple Heart recipient who transition from a communications 122 00:05:41,279 --> 00:05:45,560 Speaker 2: and Civil affairs sergeant in the Special operations community two 123 00:05:45,760 --> 00:05:48,239 Speaker 2: of all things, a stand up comedian and a really 124 00:05:48,240 --> 00:05:50,880 Speaker 2: good one. I think that's kind of a rather unique 125 00:05:50,920 --> 00:05:53,359 Speaker 2: journey and one that I'm really looking forward to finding 126 00:05:53,400 --> 00:05:55,680 Speaker 2: out about talking to you. So, first of all, did 127 00:05:55,680 --> 00:05:57,400 Speaker 2: I get that correct? And can you give us a 128 00:05:57,440 --> 00:06:00,480 Speaker 2: little bit of a glimpse into that sort of beginning 129 00:06:00,520 --> 00:06:02,960 Speaker 2: part of your life where you entered into the military. 130 00:06:03,240 --> 00:06:05,400 Speaker 4: You did miss one part I did. We can talk 131 00:06:05,440 --> 00:06:09,400 Speaker 4: about music too, because, of course the guitars, some of 132 00:06:09,440 --> 00:06:11,840 Speaker 4: which I have a severe case of gas uh. 133 00:06:12,279 --> 00:06:15,240 Speaker 1: Guitar because I was wondering. 134 00:06:15,279 --> 00:06:20,760 Speaker 4: Yeah, guitar acquisition syndrome. Yeah, I have so many guitars. 135 00:06:21,600 --> 00:06:24,680 Speaker 3: But no, I actually wanted music was a big part 136 00:06:24,680 --> 00:06:26,320 Speaker 3: of my life too. It's always been a big part 137 00:06:26,320 --> 00:06:29,359 Speaker 3: of my life. And actually, when I left the Army 138 00:06:29,440 --> 00:06:33,840 Speaker 3: and I went back home, I wanted to be a musician, 139 00:06:33,880 --> 00:06:35,839 Speaker 3: like I wanted to be a musician before the Army, 140 00:06:36,800 --> 00:06:39,240 Speaker 3: and I started a band I was playing out The 141 00:06:39,279 --> 00:06:42,000 Speaker 3: Googoo Dolls are friends of mine from my hometown of Buffalo, 142 00:06:42,080 --> 00:06:47,080 Speaker 3: New York. And uh, and then just I think post combat, 143 00:06:47,240 --> 00:06:51,680 Speaker 3: I really had a tough time working with other people 144 00:06:51,720 --> 00:06:54,960 Speaker 3: who weren't military, people like I spent a career in 145 00:06:55,000 --> 00:06:58,960 Speaker 3: the Army and spent you know, a combat deployment in Iraq, 146 00:06:59,800 --> 00:07:02,560 Speaker 3: sofering some of the worst tragedies a soldier can, and 147 00:07:02,640 --> 00:07:05,240 Speaker 3: I came home and I wanted music to be the 148 00:07:05,240 --> 00:07:08,160 Speaker 3: thing that saved me. But as much as I love it, 149 00:07:08,520 --> 00:07:11,800 Speaker 3: the business part of music and having to deal with 150 00:07:12,600 --> 00:07:16,320 Speaker 3: other band members, producers and things like that, when I 151 00:07:16,400 --> 00:07:19,760 Speaker 3: found comedy. It's not that I found comedy like it 152 00:07:19,800 --> 00:07:23,360 Speaker 3: came out of nowhere, but when comedy became a viable 153 00:07:23,440 --> 00:07:27,840 Speaker 3: option in my life as a tool for therapy but 154 00:07:27,880 --> 00:07:31,120 Speaker 3: also as a career, that's when I went, Okay, I 155 00:07:31,160 --> 00:07:34,040 Speaker 3: don't have to spend the thousands of dollars I have 156 00:07:34,120 --> 00:07:38,000 Speaker 3: spent on guitar equipment and pedals and apps, and I 157 00:07:38,040 --> 00:07:42,520 Speaker 3: can just I mean, it was the late early two thousands, 158 00:07:42,600 --> 00:07:45,920 Speaker 3: so I was buying a lot of hoodies and jackets 159 00:07:46,200 --> 00:07:48,600 Speaker 3: because that was the comedian uniform at the time, Like. 160 00:07:48,560 --> 00:07:50,679 Speaker 4: A sports coat and a hoodie and a T shirt. 161 00:07:51,200 --> 00:07:51,720 Speaker 4: That's what I. 162 00:07:53,480 --> 00:07:56,040 Speaker 3: But yeah, comedy became the thing that I turned to 163 00:07:56,160 --> 00:07:58,520 Speaker 3: after my career in the army. 164 00:07:58,960 --> 00:07:59,560 Speaker 1: Yeah I read. 165 00:07:59,720 --> 00:08:00,240 Speaker 3: Well. 166 00:08:00,440 --> 00:08:02,680 Speaker 2: First of all, to everyone listening, I want to thank 167 00:08:02,720 --> 00:08:06,760 Speaker 2: you for your service to our country, and also for 168 00:08:06,840 --> 00:08:09,720 Speaker 2: your continued service now through your craft of comedy, because 169 00:08:09,760 --> 00:08:12,080 Speaker 2: you're creating healing laughter for all of us to tap 170 00:08:12,120 --> 00:08:14,400 Speaker 2: into when we need it. So I'm grateful that you 171 00:08:15,040 --> 00:08:18,200 Speaker 2: found your niche. But I also read that while you 172 00:08:18,240 --> 00:08:21,080 Speaker 2: were deployed, as you were describing that you were hurt 173 00:08:21,200 --> 00:08:24,720 Speaker 2: only like four days into your deployment, but you continued 174 00:08:24,760 --> 00:08:29,360 Speaker 2: through to the end, and I was curious you described 175 00:08:29,400 --> 00:08:33,680 Speaker 2: comedy saved your life. Can you share when you realized 176 00:08:33,720 --> 00:08:36,320 Speaker 2: that laughter was helping you to heal and cope with 177 00:08:36,400 --> 00:08:38,719 Speaker 2: what happened? And was it during the time while you 178 00:08:38,760 --> 00:08:40,079 Speaker 2: were still serving or was it after? 179 00:08:41,280 --> 00:08:44,120 Speaker 3: It wasn't until well after I got home, because you know, 180 00:08:44,920 --> 00:08:45,600 Speaker 3: so what happens. 181 00:08:45,679 --> 00:08:48,040 Speaker 4: I deployed to Iraq two thousand. 182 00:08:47,800 --> 00:08:52,560 Speaker 3: And three OIF one, the first the first deployment across 183 00:08:52,640 --> 00:08:55,360 Speaker 3: the border on a Sunday, shortly after the war officially 184 00:08:55,400 --> 00:09:01,440 Speaker 3: began in March. And then on when I was in 185 00:09:01,440 --> 00:09:03,719 Speaker 3: my first gunfight and I got shot in the back 186 00:09:03,760 --> 00:09:05,760 Speaker 3: of the head. So that's how my war started. It 187 00:09:05,880 --> 00:09:11,520 Speaker 3: literally started with like across the border, established an op 188 00:09:11,600 --> 00:09:15,439 Speaker 3: observation point and then observation position, and then went out 189 00:09:15,440 --> 00:09:20,920 Speaker 3: on a mission. Got shot fourth day, and I didn't 190 00:09:20,960 --> 00:09:25,480 Speaker 3: realize that at the time, but even then, comedy was 191 00:09:25,480 --> 00:09:29,199 Speaker 3: the thing that was keeping me going literally moments after 192 00:09:29,240 --> 00:09:32,920 Speaker 3: I got shot, because I was the combat life saver 193 00:09:33,000 --> 00:09:34,080 Speaker 3: in the truck, so I was the one with the 194 00:09:34,080 --> 00:09:34,760 Speaker 3: medical training. 195 00:09:34,800 --> 00:09:35,920 Speaker 4: At the time, I was a. 196 00:09:35,880 --> 00:09:38,240 Speaker 3: Communication sergeant, but I was also cross trained in like 197 00:09:39,200 --> 00:09:42,240 Speaker 3: combat life saver. So I literally bandaged my own head. 198 00:09:43,600 --> 00:09:49,959 Speaker 3: We continued that mission, and you helped you. Wow. Yeah, 199 00:09:50,360 --> 00:09:52,200 Speaker 3: if you watch the video, because there's a video of it, 200 00:09:52,240 --> 00:09:55,760 Speaker 3: I'm bandaging my own head and I remember, you know, 201 00:09:55,800 --> 00:09:59,640 Speaker 3: the combat life saving training kicking in. Just going, keep talking, 202 00:09:59,720 --> 00:10:03,040 Speaker 3: keep talking, do not lose consciousness. Because I was the 203 00:10:03,040 --> 00:10:05,880 Speaker 3: guy with the medical training in the truck. Not only 204 00:10:05,920 --> 00:10:08,319 Speaker 3: what was I the comm sergeant, I was the medical sergeant. 205 00:10:08,520 --> 00:10:12,440 Speaker 3: So I remember thinking, just keep talking, just keep talking, 206 00:10:12,520 --> 00:10:15,720 Speaker 3: just keep talking. And on the outside. Because we videoed 207 00:10:15,760 --> 00:10:20,800 Speaker 3: the entire mission from before I got shot, me getting shot, 208 00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:23,720 Speaker 3: we have that on tape, and then us running a 209 00:10:23,760 --> 00:10:28,440 Speaker 3: second mission as I'm bleeding for my skull, and then 210 00:10:28,760 --> 00:10:30,800 Speaker 3: on our way back to the combat hospital, and the 211 00:10:31,160 --> 00:10:36,480 Speaker 3: entire time I'm trying to stay awake by making myself laugh. 212 00:10:36,600 --> 00:10:38,960 Speaker 3: Making the major laugh, making the colonel laugh, making our 213 00:10:39,000 --> 00:10:42,400 Speaker 3: interpreter laugh, And it was just me going, all right, 214 00:10:42,520 --> 00:10:46,200 Speaker 3: keep talking because if you lose consciousness and wearing this 215 00:10:46,280 --> 00:10:53,120 Speaker 3: convoy ten clicks from the base, Yeah, well yeah, I'm 216 00:10:53,120 --> 00:10:54,520 Speaker 3: the medical guy, so how am I? 217 00:10:54,640 --> 00:10:56,440 Speaker 1: How is anyone going to be helped if you don't 218 00:10:56,520 --> 00:10:58,360 Speaker 1: if you don't make it? Yeah? Wow. 219 00:10:59,160 --> 00:11:02,120 Speaker 3: So even then, like you know, I watched the video 220 00:11:02,600 --> 00:11:04,800 Speaker 3: once in a while. I have the whole thing several 221 00:11:04,840 --> 00:11:08,520 Speaker 3: hours long. But you know, I'm just talking to keep 222 00:11:08,520 --> 00:11:11,640 Speaker 3: myself going, and I'm telling jokes like I'm looking right 223 00:11:11,679 --> 00:11:13,640 Speaker 3: in the camera and telling jokes. 224 00:11:15,040 --> 00:11:17,000 Speaker 4: That are that were not good. They were not good jokes. 225 00:11:17,400 --> 00:11:21,720 Speaker 3: Wow, And they really were just like to make me 226 00:11:21,840 --> 00:11:24,880 Speaker 3: and the major laugh so that I could. 227 00:11:25,760 --> 00:11:27,600 Speaker 1: Make yourself feel comfortable. Maybe. 228 00:11:28,040 --> 00:11:31,840 Speaker 3: Well really it was just to keep conscious until we 229 00:11:31,880 --> 00:11:35,199 Speaker 3: got me to the combat hospital. And the story I 230 00:11:35,760 --> 00:11:40,320 Speaker 3: used to tell on stage was we called back to 231 00:11:40,400 --> 00:11:44,400 Speaker 3: our op center after the missions that we ran, and 232 00:11:44,440 --> 00:11:46,480 Speaker 3: I'm the comms guy and I had to get on 233 00:11:46,480 --> 00:11:50,720 Speaker 3: the radio and say, hey, listen, we're coming back, and 234 00:11:50,800 --> 00:11:53,679 Speaker 3: I said we have to stop at the hospital. I 235 00:11:53,800 --> 00:11:57,160 Speaker 3: kind of got shot and the person back in my 236 00:11:57,200 --> 00:12:01,920 Speaker 3: operations center, my talk tactor operations. They said, what do 237 00:12:01,920 --> 00:12:03,719 Speaker 3: you mean you kind of got shot? And I said, well, 238 00:12:03,760 --> 00:12:06,880 Speaker 3: I kind of got shot. And before I could give 239 00:12:06,880 --> 00:12:09,000 Speaker 3: them the details, the radio signal gets broken. 240 00:12:08,840 --> 00:12:10,040 Speaker 4: Up because we're kind of far out. 241 00:12:11,000 --> 00:12:15,560 Speaker 3: And then the retrans communication sergeant at the hospital rings 242 00:12:15,600 --> 00:12:17,120 Speaker 3: up and he goes, hey, sergeant, I can hear you. 243 00:12:17,920 --> 00:12:20,280 Speaker 3: I can hear your talk. You tell me what's going on. 244 00:12:20,360 --> 00:12:22,400 Speaker 3: I'll relay it to them. And I said, yeah, I 245 00:12:22,400 --> 00:12:24,960 Speaker 3: sort of got shot, and he goes, I heard that part. 246 00:12:25,559 --> 00:12:28,640 Speaker 3: Where did you get shot? And again, just try to 247 00:12:28,640 --> 00:12:30,840 Speaker 3: make myself laugh. I said, this is going to sound 248 00:12:30,920 --> 00:12:33,880 Speaker 3: way worse than it is. I got shot in the head. 249 00:12:34,040 --> 00:12:37,160 Speaker 4: And he's like what I said, yeah, yeah, I'm good. 250 00:12:37,600 --> 00:12:39,680 Speaker 4: I'm good. We're on our way back. We're about, you know, 251 00:12:40,280 --> 00:12:41,880 Speaker 4: twenty minutes out. 252 00:12:42,000 --> 00:12:45,000 Speaker 3: And then he said how long is it gonna take 253 00:12:45,040 --> 00:12:45,920 Speaker 3: for you to get it back here? 254 00:12:45,960 --> 00:12:46,800 Speaker 4: And I said, we're about. 255 00:12:46,600 --> 00:12:48,720 Speaker 3: Twenty minutes out, but I'm going to stop get some 256 00:12:48,800 --> 00:12:51,360 Speaker 3: donuts from the guys at one two three Infantry because 257 00:12:51,400 --> 00:12:53,240 Speaker 3: they was like, no, you come right back. 258 00:12:53,280 --> 00:12:55,040 Speaker 4: I was like, relax, I'm joking. 259 00:12:55,200 --> 00:12:57,199 Speaker 1: Oh my god, I thought you were serious. 260 00:12:58,280 --> 00:13:00,720 Speaker 3: Are you kidding me, and that was just to keep 261 00:13:00,760 --> 00:13:04,240 Speaker 3: me from, wow, literally passing out because I'm losing blood. 262 00:13:04,240 --> 00:13:07,960 Speaker 3: There's a lot of blood vessels in your head. I 263 00:13:08,000 --> 00:13:10,200 Speaker 3: am your scalp particularly, and I'm like, I was bleeding 264 00:13:10,360 --> 00:13:14,760 Speaker 3: just NonStop. So it's really just like, stay awake, keep talking, 265 00:13:15,200 --> 00:13:20,679 Speaker 3: get back to the cash combat support hospital, and let 266 00:13:20,720 --> 00:13:22,320 Speaker 3: the real doctors take care of you, because I have 267 00:13:22,400 --> 00:13:24,400 Speaker 3: just minimal combat lifesaver training. 268 00:13:25,160 --> 00:13:25,600 Speaker 1: Wow. 269 00:13:25,640 --> 00:13:28,160 Speaker 3: But that's I did it with comedy and I didn't 270 00:13:28,280 --> 00:13:30,400 Speaker 3: really realize it. It was just the thing that I 271 00:13:30,440 --> 00:13:33,920 Speaker 3: was doing at the time to keep the mission going. 272 00:13:34,320 --> 00:13:36,320 Speaker 1: That's incredible that you say that. 273 00:13:37,320 --> 00:13:39,520 Speaker 2: Did you even know that you were funny or that 274 00:13:39,600 --> 00:13:41,719 Speaker 2: you knew how to be funny in it? Or was 275 00:13:41,760 --> 00:13:44,160 Speaker 2: it just do you think it was just a reaction 276 00:13:44,480 --> 00:13:47,080 Speaker 2: within you that you couldn't control. That you just knew 277 00:13:47,120 --> 00:13:50,199 Speaker 2: that you had to keep talking. Keeping talking is one thing, 278 00:13:50,240 --> 00:13:52,720 Speaker 2: but being funny and joking with the fact that you 279 00:13:52,720 --> 00:13:55,559 Speaker 2: were shot in the head, I mean, that's that's incredible. 280 00:13:57,520 --> 00:14:02,600 Speaker 3: Sometimes I question now if I'm funny. I have sets. 281 00:14:03,160 --> 00:14:05,480 Speaker 3: I have sets. Sometimes I'll get in the car afterwards, 282 00:14:05,520 --> 00:14:06,760 Speaker 3: I'll call my friends and I'm. 283 00:14:06,600 --> 00:14:08,600 Speaker 4: Like, what am I doing? With my life. What is that? 284 00:14:08,880 --> 00:14:13,360 Speaker 4: I just tanked so hard? So did I think I 285 00:14:13,400 --> 00:14:14,480 Speaker 4: was funny? I don't. I don't know. 286 00:14:14,559 --> 00:14:17,160 Speaker 3: I remember the first time I did stand up comedy 287 00:14:17,760 --> 00:14:22,280 Speaker 3: in college. It was part of a class that I 288 00:14:22,320 --> 00:14:23,720 Speaker 3: was taking because I was a radio guy. I was 289 00:14:23,760 --> 00:14:28,360 Speaker 3: communications sergeant, I was a radio broadcaster. I just retired 290 00:14:28,400 --> 00:14:32,080 Speaker 3: from a real career in broadcast radio in Los Angeles. 291 00:14:32,720 --> 00:14:36,120 Speaker 3: So I was in college before the deployment to Iraq. 292 00:14:36,200 --> 00:14:41,320 Speaker 3: I was back in the reserves, back home, and I 293 00:14:41,360 --> 00:14:44,800 Speaker 3: was taking a class I'll never forget. It was called 294 00:14:45,280 --> 00:14:48,880 Speaker 3: Voice and Diction, and the teacher's name was Jerry Trentam 295 00:14:48,920 --> 00:14:50,960 Speaker 3: and I quote his name all the time because I 296 00:14:51,040 --> 00:14:54,880 Speaker 3: blame him and Robin Williams my career choices. But the 297 00:14:54,960 --> 00:14:57,920 Speaker 3: idea of the class was to mind your voice in radio, 298 00:14:57,960 --> 00:15:01,080 Speaker 3: in broadcasting, television, whatever it was. Everybody in the class 299 00:15:01,120 --> 00:15:05,400 Speaker 3: was a broadcast major somewhere theater majors. And the final 300 00:15:05,440 --> 00:15:09,160 Speaker 3: project was to take a scene from your favorite movie 301 00:15:09,160 --> 00:15:11,000 Speaker 3: and do it in your own voice. So, for instance, 302 00:15:11,000 --> 00:15:13,400 Speaker 3: my friend Sean, he did a scene from boiler Room. 303 00:15:13,720 --> 00:15:16,520 Speaker 3: It was his favorite movie, and I said to Jerry, hey, 304 00:15:16,760 --> 00:15:19,280 Speaker 3: I've always liked stand up comedy. It's not a thing 305 00:15:20,240 --> 00:15:22,560 Speaker 3: that I thought I'd ever do, but I liked it. 306 00:15:22,600 --> 00:15:25,920 Speaker 3: Can I do stand up as my final project? 307 00:15:26,200 --> 00:15:27,320 Speaker 4: And he said, yeah, you. 308 00:15:27,280 --> 00:15:29,800 Speaker 3: Have four months and three days, which is the beginning 309 00:15:29,840 --> 00:15:31,680 Speaker 3: of the semester to the end of the semester. So 310 00:15:31,720 --> 00:15:33,880 Speaker 3: you get four months and three days to write a 311 00:15:33,880 --> 00:15:37,320 Speaker 3: five minute set. And it took me four months, three 312 00:15:37,360 --> 00:15:39,280 Speaker 3: days and like twenty five minutes right up to the 313 00:15:39,280 --> 00:15:43,400 Speaker 3: moment I walked into the class to do this five 314 00:15:43,440 --> 00:15:48,240 Speaker 3: minutes of material, and I remember blacking out, like I 315 00:15:48,240 --> 00:15:51,560 Speaker 3: got up there, I opened my mouth, everything went blank. 316 00:15:51,840 --> 00:15:53,280 Speaker 4: I don't remember what happened. 317 00:15:54,000 --> 00:15:56,560 Speaker 3: But my friend Sean, who is in the class, who 318 00:15:56,680 --> 00:15:59,880 Speaker 3: lives out here in Los Angeles now, he said to me, 319 00:16:00,040 --> 00:16:02,360 Speaker 3: he goes, you killed and I was like, I don't 320 00:16:02,400 --> 00:16:06,360 Speaker 3: remember that, Like everything just went blank. I just opened 321 00:16:06,400 --> 00:16:09,520 Speaker 3: my mouth and just whatever nonsense I'd written down came out. 322 00:16:10,400 --> 00:16:11,840 Speaker 4: But I assumed I. 323 00:16:11,800 --> 00:16:13,480 Speaker 3: Did well because there was a really hot girl in 324 00:16:13,480 --> 00:16:15,520 Speaker 3: the class who like immediately gave me your phone number. 325 00:16:15,520 --> 00:16:17,560 Speaker 3: I've been trying to get it all semester. Look, and 326 00:16:17,600 --> 00:16:20,080 Speaker 3: she was like, you deserve to take me out. 327 00:16:19,880 --> 00:16:24,040 Speaker 4: On a date, and I was like, I do, and then. 328 00:16:25,400 --> 00:16:31,040 Speaker 3: That was November of two thousand and two, and then 329 00:16:31,800 --> 00:16:35,720 Speaker 3: I got deployment orders to go back on active duty 330 00:16:36,240 --> 00:16:41,440 Speaker 3: shortly thereafter, and like weeks later, weeks later, like I think, 331 00:16:41,800 --> 00:16:45,400 Speaker 3: I mobilized down a Fort Brag where a command is 332 00:16:45,880 --> 00:16:50,920 Speaker 3: mid December for train up. Came home for Christmas for 333 00:16:50,960 --> 00:16:53,000 Speaker 3: a couple of days to see our families one last time, 334 00:16:53,040 --> 00:16:56,520 Speaker 3: and then we you know, we're on a plane right 335 00:16:56,520 --> 00:16:59,480 Speaker 3: before the New year or right after the New year 336 00:17:00,400 --> 00:17:00,920 Speaker 3: to Kuwait. 337 00:17:01,520 --> 00:17:02,800 Speaker 4: So it was like I did stand up for the 338 00:17:02,800 --> 00:17:03,240 Speaker 4: first time. 339 00:17:03,280 --> 00:17:04,840 Speaker 3: I think I did it one more time at a 340 00:17:04,880 --> 00:17:09,159 Speaker 3: club in town and then got my orders to go 341 00:17:09,200 --> 00:17:11,080 Speaker 3: to Araq. So did I ever know I was funny? 342 00:17:11,200 --> 00:17:15,119 Speaker 3: Not really, because I blacked out. I blanked out. I 343 00:17:15,160 --> 00:17:17,240 Speaker 3: don't remember if iPhones weren't a thing at the time, 344 00:17:17,280 --> 00:17:21,000 Speaker 3: so nobody recorded it, thank god, because I found the 345 00:17:21,040 --> 00:17:24,000 Speaker 3: notes from that set and A are terrible. I was 346 00:17:24,160 --> 00:17:25,000 Speaker 3: really awful. 347 00:17:26,040 --> 00:17:28,199 Speaker 2: You've been involved with home Base, which is a program 348 00:17:28,240 --> 00:17:30,360 Speaker 2: near and dear to our hearts here at Comedy Save 349 00:17:30,440 --> 00:17:34,040 Speaker 2: Me supporting veterans' mental health, and I wondered how that 350 00:17:34,080 --> 00:17:37,439 Speaker 2: work influenced your approach to comedy. 351 00:17:38,480 --> 00:17:41,359 Speaker 3: There are three things in my life for sure that 352 00:17:41,440 --> 00:17:44,959 Speaker 3: I know and anybody close to me knows that if 353 00:17:45,000 --> 00:17:48,840 Speaker 3: I do not do them for any extended amount of time, 354 00:17:49,720 --> 00:17:51,520 Speaker 3: I'm a terrible person to be around. 355 00:17:52,520 --> 00:17:53,720 Speaker 4: One of them is working out. 356 00:17:54,920 --> 00:17:57,399 Speaker 3: I hate it. I don't like it. I don't go 357 00:17:57,440 --> 00:17:59,359 Speaker 3: to the gym because I want to. I'm not a 358 00:17:59,440 --> 00:18:02,240 Speaker 3: gym rat. I do it because if I don't, my 359 00:18:03,640 --> 00:18:08,600 Speaker 3: physical and mental health are so tied together that if 360 00:18:08,640 --> 00:18:12,919 Speaker 3: I don't do it, I cannot function in a normal 361 00:18:12,960 --> 00:18:14,800 Speaker 3: society with normal people. 362 00:18:15,359 --> 00:18:18,680 Speaker 4: I can't. The other is comedy. 363 00:18:18,960 --> 00:18:23,200 Speaker 3: If I don't do stand up comedy for any significant 364 00:18:23,240 --> 00:18:25,240 Speaker 3: amount of time, you know, I can go a day 365 00:18:25,320 --> 00:18:29,199 Speaker 3: or two just hanging out with my cats, hang out 366 00:18:29,200 --> 00:18:31,800 Speaker 3: with my girlfriend, whatever. But if I go any longer 367 00:18:31,840 --> 00:18:37,600 Speaker 3: than that without doing stand up comedy, I am again 368 00:18:37,680 --> 00:18:40,720 Speaker 3: a miserable person to be around. And if I don't 369 00:18:40,760 --> 00:18:44,160 Speaker 3: pick up one of my I think it's forty two 370 00:18:44,200 --> 00:18:49,760 Speaker 3: guitars now, and I don't write or play or create 371 00:18:50,280 --> 00:18:55,800 Speaker 3: something musical, I get very depressed. It's not as bad 372 00:18:55,840 --> 00:18:57,520 Speaker 3: as when I don't work out, when I don't do 373 00:18:57,600 --> 00:19:01,520 Speaker 3: stand up because then I'm just like aggravated, because those 374 00:19:01,520 --> 00:19:03,680 Speaker 3: are very much my therapy. 375 00:19:05,040 --> 00:19:06,200 Speaker 4: But music like I do. 376 00:19:06,160 --> 00:19:10,040 Speaker 3: Get genuinely sad if I like, I mean I have 377 00:19:10,320 --> 00:19:13,560 Speaker 3: literally a guitar or two in every room in this house. 378 00:19:13,600 --> 00:19:16,600 Speaker 3: I think I have two in my bathroom. It's I 379 00:19:16,640 --> 00:19:19,480 Speaker 3: have no excuse to not pick them up. 380 00:19:19,600 --> 00:19:21,800 Speaker 2: But wait a minute, I'm getting a visual of you 381 00:19:21,960 --> 00:19:24,960 Speaker 2: spending a length of time in the bathroom the guitar. 382 00:19:25,119 --> 00:19:27,040 Speaker 4: I write some of my best stuff in the bathroom. 383 00:19:27,160 --> 00:19:30,560 Speaker 3: Eddie van Halen recorded some of the greatest stuff with 384 00:19:30,680 --> 00:19:34,919 Speaker 3: a Marshall four to twelve and is Saldano head in 385 00:19:35,000 --> 00:19:38,600 Speaker 3: his bathroom because the acoustics in a bathroom are fantastic. 386 00:19:38,600 --> 00:19:40,199 Speaker 3: I don't know if people know that a lot of 387 00:19:40,280 --> 00:19:43,640 Speaker 3: great solos have been recorded in bathrooms. 388 00:19:43,720 --> 00:19:44,320 Speaker 1: No, you're right. 389 00:19:44,520 --> 00:19:48,160 Speaker 2: Richie Sambora and John bon Jovi told me they recorded 390 00:19:48,160 --> 00:19:50,480 Speaker 2: an album in his mother's bathroom. 391 00:19:50,920 --> 00:19:54,000 Speaker 3: Yeah, because the acoustics were so good. Yep, it was 392 00:19:54,480 --> 00:19:56,600 Speaker 3: the New Jersey album. I'm a huge bond joke. Ban 393 00:19:56,720 --> 00:19:59,520 Speaker 3: I have three Richie sambor guitars right over there. 394 00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:00,320 Speaker 1: Wow. 395 00:20:00,400 --> 00:20:02,720 Speaker 2: Wow, this is like a combo show. This is a 396 00:20:02,880 --> 00:20:05,120 Speaker 2: music save me in comedy save me at the same time. 397 00:20:05,440 --> 00:20:07,080 Speaker 1: I love it. Wow. 398 00:20:07,480 --> 00:20:10,879 Speaker 2: Well, how do you see comedy playing a role in 399 00:20:11,080 --> 00:20:19,600 Speaker 2: sort of breaking the stigma around. 400 00:20:16,119 --> 00:20:19,840 Speaker 3: I do a one man show called Laugh After Death, 401 00:20:20,080 --> 00:20:22,440 Speaker 3: and it is a culmination of the last twenty years 402 00:20:22,480 --> 00:20:28,000 Speaker 3: of my comedy performing to civilians, military audiences, veterans Stateside 403 00:20:28,800 --> 00:20:36,480 Speaker 3: in active combat zones the Arctic, and it is me 404 00:20:36,760 --> 00:20:41,560 Speaker 3: taking my stories and my jokes from my life as 405 00:20:41,560 --> 00:20:43,640 Speaker 3: a soldier and as a comedian now, and as somebody 406 00:20:43,640 --> 00:20:47,000 Speaker 3: who's been struggling with mental health and addiction for a 407 00:20:47,080 --> 00:20:52,520 Speaker 3: very long time and putting them together in a cohesive 408 00:20:52,600 --> 00:21:00,439 Speaker 3: story that one people hear it, they leave understanding a 409 00:21:00,440 --> 00:21:04,399 Speaker 3: little bit better what veterans in combat soldiers go through 410 00:21:04,920 --> 00:21:09,639 Speaker 3: without feeling bad for us. They can laugh at you know, 411 00:21:09,760 --> 00:21:12,200 Speaker 3: I tell a story about me getting shot in the head. 412 00:21:12,200 --> 00:21:13,920 Speaker 3: I show the video of me getting shot in the head, 413 00:21:14,000 --> 00:21:18,439 Speaker 3: and it's a great joke. You normally wouldn't think that. 414 00:21:19,000 --> 00:21:22,240 Speaker 3: And when people people don't want to be uncomfortable. Nobody 415 00:21:22,320 --> 00:21:24,280 Speaker 3: wants to be uncomfortable. They don't want to feel uncomfortable. 416 00:21:24,280 --> 00:21:26,439 Speaker 3: They don't want to feel bad. They'll say thank you 417 00:21:26,440 --> 00:21:28,240 Speaker 3: for your service or whatever, but they don't want to 418 00:21:28,320 --> 00:21:32,200 Speaker 3: feel bad about listening to the things we go through. 419 00:21:32,760 --> 00:21:35,639 Speaker 4: And if you don't listen you're not going to know. 420 00:21:36,480 --> 00:21:40,399 Speaker 3: And if you if you can't make that information digestible 421 00:21:41,560 --> 00:21:43,520 Speaker 3: through comedy, then people aren't gonna. 422 00:21:43,280 --> 00:21:44,439 Speaker 4: Listen, you know. 423 00:21:44,480 --> 00:21:48,280 Speaker 3: So I do this show and even like, I do 424 00:21:48,320 --> 00:21:51,760 Speaker 3: a joke now it's a brand new joke and I 425 00:21:51,800 --> 00:21:52,200 Speaker 3: love it. 426 00:21:52,320 --> 00:21:54,480 Speaker 4: Oh, it's my one of my favorite jokes, and it's 427 00:21:54,520 --> 00:21:57,080 Speaker 4: about PTSD. It is literally like I. 428 00:21:57,040 --> 00:21:59,199 Speaker 3: Start off by saying, I'm going to be vulnerable with 429 00:21:59,280 --> 00:22:01,920 Speaker 3: you right now because my therapist at the VA says 430 00:22:01,960 --> 00:22:04,119 Speaker 3: I have to be. Like that's the opening line of 431 00:22:04,160 --> 00:22:07,600 Speaker 3: the joke, and it starts kind of sad, just for 432 00:22:07,640 --> 00:22:10,640 Speaker 3: a few seconds. Uh, and then it becomes a joke 433 00:22:10,680 --> 00:22:12,600 Speaker 3: about Coldplay, and it's fantastic. 434 00:22:12,680 --> 00:22:13,919 Speaker 4: It's one of my favorite needs. 435 00:22:15,440 --> 00:22:17,600 Speaker 1: Wait a minute, you start off with that and you 436 00:22:17,680 --> 00:22:18,639 Speaker 1: end up with Coldplay? 437 00:22:19,119 --> 00:22:21,240 Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's a it's a fantastic joke. 438 00:22:22,520 --> 00:22:24,760 Speaker 1: Are you going to tell them to me? Or is it? So? 439 00:22:24,760 --> 00:22:28,800 Speaker 3: So basically, people ask me if I have PTSD, which 440 00:22:28,840 --> 00:22:32,280 Speaker 3: is it's it's an honest question, and the honest answer 441 00:22:32,359 --> 00:22:34,240 Speaker 3: is yes. I mean I got shot in a rack, 442 00:22:34,359 --> 00:22:38,280 Speaker 3: my roommate got killed, I know, bought three alcoholism. So 443 00:22:38,359 --> 00:22:42,560 Speaker 3: things do trigger me? Ours backfiring things in the roadway 444 00:22:42,600 --> 00:22:45,800 Speaker 3: that shouldn't be there, and that's that's what I suffer through. 445 00:22:46,880 --> 00:22:49,639 Speaker 3: And I used to feel really bad about that until 446 00:22:49,640 --> 00:22:51,640 Speaker 3: about a month and a half ago when I found 447 00:22:51,680 --> 00:22:54,040 Speaker 3: out that there are two people on this planet who 448 00:22:54,160 --> 00:22:58,879 Speaker 3: feel the same way. Listening to Coldplay music because you know, 449 00:23:00,280 --> 00:23:02,360 Speaker 3: makes sense. These two here, you know, these two got 450 00:23:02,359 --> 00:23:04,560 Speaker 3: caught having an a fair on the JumboTron, and now 451 00:23:04,560 --> 00:23:06,320 Speaker 3: every time they hear yellow, they want to turn into 452 00:23:06,359 --> 00:23:07,119 Speaker 3: oncoming traffic. 453 00:23:07,680 --> 00:23:08,240 Speaker 4: So it's a. 454 00:23:09,720 --> 00:23:13,560 Speaker 3: It's a but that way, I get to talk about 455 00:23:13,760 --> 00:23:16,880 Speaker 3: what I went through, my trauma, and it's a real thing, 456 00:23:16,920 --> 00:23:18,679 Speaker 3: and then people hear that and they go, oh, okay, 457 00:23:18,960 --> 00:23:23,400 Speaker 3: I get it. Something traumatic happened. It's not necessarily you know, 458 00:23:23,600 --> 00:23:28,360 Speaker 3: veterans don't. We don't own PTSD as a stigma. It's 459 00:23:28,760 --> 00:23:31,920 Speaker 3: anybody who goes through any kind of trauma, car accident, 460 00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:36,679 Speaker 3: you know, divorce, getting caught having an a fair on 461 00:23:36,720 --> 00:23:40,840 Speaker 3: a JumboTron, becoming the laughing stock of the entire internet 462 00:23:40,920 --> 00:23:45,400 Speaker 3: for you know, a month, and that way people can 463 00:23:45,440 --> 00:23:48,680 Speaker 3: make that connection people who have what is it the 464 00:23:49,200 --> 00:23:52,560 Speaker 3: numbers are, I think it's point five point zero four 465 00:23:52,680 --> 00:23:56,280 Speaker 3: percent of the US population are serving in the military. 466 00:23:56,960 --> 00:24:00,119 Speaker 3: Less than seven percent are veterans as opposed to like 467 00:24:00,119 --> 00:24:03,919 Speaker 3: World War Two, whereas twelve percent. So seven percent of 468 00:24:03,960 --> 00:24:08,080 Speaker 3: the American population can understand what I'm talking about. They've 469 00:24:08,080 --> 00:24:09,800 Speaker 3: gone through what I'm talking about. So what about the 470 00:24:09,800 --> 00:24:13,560 Speaker 3: other ninety three percent? Well, I turned my comedy into 471 00:24:13,560 --> 00:24:18,160 Speaker 3: a thing that the other ninety three percent can understand. Yes, 472 00:24:18,400 --> 00:24:20,879 Speaker 3: I got shot, I went through these things. When I 473 00:24:20,920 --> 00:24:24,679 Speaker 3: came home. I deal with trauma. Now how does the 474 00:24:24,720 --> 00:24:29,080 Speaker 3: other ninety three percent relate to that? Hey, everybody watched 475 00:24:29,080 --> 00:24:31,679 Speaker 3: this video of these two idiots getting caught having an 476 00:24:31,680 --> 00:24:35,280 Speaker 3: a fair. That's pretty traumatic. And then they can go, oh, wait, 477 00:24:35,320 --> 00:24:37,439 Speaker 3: this other thing might happen in my life. I got 478 00:24:37,440 --> 00:24:42,439 Speaker 3: a car act blah blah blah. And hopefully it brings 479 00:24:42,480 --> 00:24:45,520 Speaker 3: people a little closer together, because there's such a divide 480 00:24:46,080 --> 00:24:50,280 Speaker 3: in the world right now, not just our nation, in 481 00:24:50,320 --> 00:24:54,000 Speaker 3: the world between everybody, not just military, not just civilians, 482 00:24:54,280 --> 00:24:58,800 Speaker 3: not just Red Blue Packers fans whatever other fans. I 483 00:24:58,800 --> 00:25:02,600 Speaker 3: don't I'm not a football person, but there is so 484 00:25:02,760 --> 00:25:07,320 Speaker 3: much division along so many different lines that if I 485 00:25:07,440 --> 00:25:09,960 Speaker 3: want my message of hey, this is what I came 486 00:25:09,960 --> 00:25:12,000 Speaker 3: home to deal with. This is what my friends deal with. 487 00:25:12,240 --> 00:25:15,639 Speaker 3: This is how we get through it. Well, let me 488 00:25:15,720 --> 00:25:20,159 Speaker 3: explain using comedy, So the other ninety three percent of 489 00:25:20,200 --> 00:25:23,119 Speaker 3: the American population go, I get it. I get it, 490 00:25:23,160 --> 00:25:25,160 Speaker 3: and I can laugh at it, and then I can 491 00:25:25,280 --> 00:25:30,520 Speaker 3: leave understanding that because you're more likely to remember a 492 00:25:30,560 --> 00:25:33,000 Speaker 3: thing that you laughed at than you will if you 493 00:25:33,560 --> 00:25:41,040 Speaker 3: tuned out during some boring talk or PowerPoint presentation about 494 00:25:41,440 --> 00:25:43,520 Speaker 3: PTSD or whatever. 495 00:25:43,640 --> 00:25:47,040 Speaker 4: I know I do. Yeah, yeah, if I tell people 496 00:25:47,040 --> 00:25:47,360 Speaker 4: all the. 497 00:25:47,320 --> 00:25:52,440 Speaker 3: Time, new soldiers, young soldiers, I wish i'd paid attention 498 00:25:53,280 --> 00:25:54,640 Speaker 3: during my outprocessing. 499 00:25:54,880 --> 00:25:56,240 Speaker 4: I don't know if I was drunk or. 500 00:25:56,240 --> 00:25:58,359 Speaker 3: Just not paying attention, But when I got out of 501 00:25:58,400 --> 00:26:01,439 Speaker 3: the army, I wish I listen to all the things 502 00:26:01,480 --> 00:26:06,520 Speaker 3: they had told me about my benefits. Who can help 503 00:26:06,560 --> 00:26:08,920 Speaker 3: me the things like because I didn't I was twenty five, 504 00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:10,560 Speaker 3: I was getting out of the army, I just got 505 00:26:10,560 --> 00:26:13,159 Speaker 3: back from a war. I'm like, I don't care. I 506 00:26:13,200 --> 00:26:14,879 Speaker 3: just want to be out of this uniform and go 507 00:26:14,960 --> 00:26:21,520 Speaker 3: do things. So when people come hear my keynote or 508 00:26:21,800 --> 00:26:24,560 Speaker 3: they listen to the one man show, they don't want 509 00:26:24,560 --> 00:26:27,760 Speaker 3: to listen to just the sadness of which there is 510 00:26:27,800 --> 00:26:31,840 Speaker 3: a lot but if they can remember it through the comedy, 511 00:26:32,520 --> 00:26:34,480 Speaker 3: they'll feel that they'll take that with them. I still 512 00:26:34,520 --> 00:26:37,080 Speaker 3: remember Eddie Murphy jokes from nineteen eighty three that I 513 00:26:37,119 --> 00:26:40,639 Speaker 3: definitely should not have been watching. But like, would you 514 00:26:40,720 --> 00:26:44,520 Speaker 3: hear good comedy, emotional, good comedy that hits you in 515 00:26:44,600 --> 00:26:45,240 Speaker 3: your soul? 516 00:26:46,760 --> 00:26:48,159 Speaker 4: You take that, you remember that. 517 00:26:49,240 --> 00:26:51,440 Speaker 3: Like sometimes people just sit in the car and they'll 518 00:26:51,480 --> 00:26:53,480 Speaker 3: just remember a joke in a comic said and they'll 519 00:26:53,520 --> 00:26:57,120 Speaker 3: just start laughing to themselves. And that laughter is the 520 00:26:57,160 --> 00:27:02,320 Speaker 3: thing that I used to heal me after war, because 521 00:27:02,359 --> 00:27:05,479 Speaker 3: every day is a struggle. Every day I am just 522 00:27:05,640 --> 00:27:08,439 Speaker 3: I'm waking up there, I'll be vulnerable. Every day I 523 00:27:08,480 --> 00:27:10,600 Speaker 3: wake up and I think I don't want to wake up. 524 00:27:11,400 --> 00:27:14,840 Speaker 3: Every day of my life for the last twenty some 525 00:27:14,920 --> 00:27:17,680 Speaker 3: odd years, I open my eyes and go, I don't 526 00:27:17,680 --> 00:27:18,199 Speaker 3: want to do this. 527 00:27:20,119 --> 00:27:20,760 Speaker 4: I get up. 528 00:27:21,160 --> 00:27:23,000 Speaker 3: I go to the gym because I know that's the 529 00:27:23,000 --> 00:27:25,720 Speaker 3: thing that I have to do, and that gives me 530 00:27:25,760 --> 00:27:28,959 Speaker 3: the energy to go write comedy or write music. 531 00:27:29,520 --> 00:27:30,480 Speaker 4: And then. 532 00:27:31,920 --> 00:27:35,560 Speaker 3: If I write a joke that makes me laugh and 533 00:27:35,600 --> 00:27:40,000 Speaker 3: then it makes an audience laugh, that's the best feeling 534 00:27:40,040 --> 00:27:42,560 Speaker 3: in the world. Because I've healed myself for a little bit, 535 00:27:42,720 --> 00:27:44,840 Speaker 3: and then I heal these people for a little bit. 536 00:27:44,880 --> 00:27:47,520 Speaker 3: Who you know, I don't know, who was at the 537 00:27:47,600 --> 00:27:49,960 Speaker 3: laugh Factory last night, who had a really bad day 538 00:27:50,040 --> 00:27:53,160 Speaker 3: and just needed to laugh for the whatever fifteen minutes 539 00:27:53,160 --> 00:27:57,960 Speaker 3: I was on stage. And if I can do that 540 00:27:58,520 --> 00:28:02,280 Speaker 3: and then bring it to that audience or this audience 541 00:28:02,400 --> 00:28:06,000 Speaker 3: or whatever wherever, that's that's what I'm meant to do. 542 00:28:06,080 --> 00:28:10,440 Speaker 3: That's my job as a soldier now, even though I'm 543 00:28:10,440 --> 00:28:13,280 Speaker 3: not in uniform anymore, it's just what I do. 544 00:28:14,000 --> 00:28:17,240 Speaker 1: You're a life soldier now, really, I mean I sold 545 00:28:17,240 --> 00:28:17,680 Speaker 1: you for life. 546 00:28:17,680 --> 00:28:19,520 Speaker 4: That's what they called retired soldiers now. 547 00:28:19,560 --> 00:28:22,000 Speaker 1: So well, I so. 548 00:28:21,960 --> 00:28:24,280 Speaker 2: Many things you just said that I would like to unpack, 549 00:28:24,320 --> 00:28:26,840 Speaker 2: but we just don't have, you know, a week to talk. 550 00:28:27,240 --> 00:28:29,560 Speaker 2: Plus you need to eat because you're intermittent fasting and 551 00:28:29,600 --> 00:28:32,320 Speaker 2: I can see like you're looking at like that eraser 552 00:28:32,359 --> 00:28:32,840 Speaker 2: on your desk. 553 00:28:32,880 --> 00:28:36,080 Speaker 4: You want to know protein shake. 554 00:28:38,720 --> 00:28:41,200 Speaker 5: You will be right back with more of the Comedy 555 00:28:41,240 --> 00:28:50,320 Speaker 5: Saved Me Podcast. Welcome back to the Comedy Save Me Podcast. 556 00:28:52,080 --> 00:28:53,200 Speaker 1: All right, three things. 557 00:28:53,920 --> 00:28:56,560 Speaker 2: One you just brought to my mind from earlier in 558 00:28:56,560 --> 00:29:00,920 Speaker 2: this conversation. My grandfather, who was on his deathbed, cracking 559 00:29:01,000 --> 00:29:05,040 Speaker 2: jokes with the nurses. So this now makes me realize 560 00:29:05,480 --> 00:29:08,680 Speaker 2: why he did it because of how you described. 561 00:29:08,200 --> 00:29:09,600 Speaker 1: Your experience in the military. 562 00:29:09,680 --> 00:29:14,640 Speaker 2: Second, my father suffered from horrific PTSD and he didn't 563 00:29:14,680 --> 00:29:18,840 Speaker 2: listen like you, and it took twenty one years before 564 00:29:18,920 --> 00:29:22,920 Speaker 2: my mom realized light bulb. We got to show him 565 00:29:22,960 --> 00:29:25,200 Speaker 2: all the things he has access to that he didn't 566 00:29:25,320 --> 00:29:26,080 Speaker 2: know he had. 567 00:29:27,160 --> 00:29:29,560 Speaker 1: And it was until he. 568 00:29:29,600 --> 00:29:31,560 Speaker 2: Knocked on the door of my apartment when I was 569 00:29:31,560 --> 00:29:34,400 Speaker 2: twenty six and said, I think I need help, you know, 570 00:29:34,840 --> 00:29:39,240 Speaker 2: And it was from that service, so wow. And when thunderstorms, 571 00:29:39,280 --> 00:29:41,959 Speaker 2: forget it, you know, lightning and all of that stuff. 572 00:29:42,000 --> 00:29:47,000 Speaker 2: So as from the military perspective, I understand that more 573 00:29:47,000 --> 00:29:49,959 Speaker 2: than most. But like you said again as well, it 574 00:29:50,000 --> 00:29:52,520 Speaker 2: doesn't even mean that you have to have PTSD from 575 00:29:52,600 --> 00:29:55,040 Speaker 2: being in the military. It could be from any traumatic 576 00:29:55,120 --> 00:29:58,240 Speaker 2: experience in your life. And so many of us suffer 577 00:29:58,280 --> 00:30:01,840 Speaker 2: from that and have had that happen. And whatever it 578 00:30:01,880 --> 00:30:04,360 Speaker 2: looks like to you, it is what it is. I mean, 579 00:30:04,480 --> 00:30:06,280 Speaker 2: no one's going to tell you, well that problem wasn't 580 00:30:06,280 --> 00:30:09,400 Speaker 2: bad enough to be considered you know it is. 581 00:30:09,600 --> 00:30:13,760 Speaker 1: And something you just said today being vulnerable and. 582 00:30:14,000 --> 00:30:15,440 Speaker 2: I was going to ask a lot of the questions 583 00:30:15,480 --> 00:30:18,600 Speaker 2: I had for you you've already answered because and it's 584 00:30:18,720 --> 00:30:21,240 Speaker 2: I could listen to you talk so much longer about 585 00:30:21,240 --> 00:30:24,440 Speaker 2: this subject because it's so important for so many people 586 00:30:24,520 --> 00:30:27,040 Speaker 2: to hear, and the fact that you just do it, 587 00:30:27,680 --> 00:30:30,120 Speaker 2: not only with your comedy, but with this discussion with me, 588 00:30:30,320 --> 00:30:32,280 Speaker 2: to just say how you felt when you wake up 589 00:30:32,280 --> 00:30:32,800 Speaker 2: in the morning. 590 00:30:34,160 --> 00:30:38,440 Speaker 1: I wake up like that sometimes. 591 00:30:37,480 --> 00:30:41,000 Speaker 3: It's every day of my life for the last twenty 592 00:30:42,080 --> 00:30:44,640 Speaker 3: plus years, every day. 593 00:30:44,920 --> 00:30:47,840 Speaker 2: And you're so blessed where you're at, and you think 594 00:30:47,880 --> 00:30:51,480 Speaker 2: to yourself, you know, why do I feel this way? 595 00:30:51,920 --> 00:30:55,880 Speaker 2: And so how do you change that channel? First thing 596 00:30:55,880 --> 00:30:58,560 Speaker 2: in the morning when when that happens to you. 597 00:30:59,120 --> 00:31:00,000 Speaker 4: It's muscle memory. 598 00:31:00,200 --> 00:31:03,120 Speaker 3: So like they taught us at airborne school, like when 599 00:31:03,160 --> 00:31:05,520 Speaker 3: you jump out of an airplane, you don't think about it. 600 00:31:05,640 --> 00:31:07,640 Speaker 3: You go through, we go through three weeks, two weeks 601 00:31:07,640 --> 00:31:09,400 Speaker 3: of training before the first time we step out of 602 00:31:09,400 --> 00:31:13,200 Speaker 3: an airplane, and it's muscle memory. You know, you hop 603 00:31:13,240 --> 00:31:16,320 Speaker 3: out that plane, you grab your you grab your reserve, 604 00:31:16,480 --> 00:31:20,520 Speaker 3: you count the four and the shoot opens. It's for 605 00:31:20,680 --> 00:31:24,440 Speaker 3: me that muscle memory is get up, feed the cats, 606 00:31:24,920 --> 00:31:29,320 Speaker 3: turn on the sauna, start working out. Literally the first 607 00:31:29,760 --> 00:31:33,240 Speaker 3: three hours of my day is physically getting to the 608 00:31:33,280 --> 00:31:36,520 Speaker 3: point where I have to I have to get those 609 00:31:36,560 --> 00:31:39,720 Speaker 3: endorphins going. I have to get the physical part of 610 00:31:39,760 --> 00:31:44,960 Speaker 3: it ye ready so that mentally I can deal with 611 00:31:46,240 --> 00:31:49,920 Speaker 3: the world. That's genuinely one of the reasons I put 612 00:31:49,960 --> 00:31:52,960 Speaker 3: a gym in my house. The ten minutes it takes 613 00:31:52,960 --> 00:31:55,040 Speaker 3: me to drive to my gym, find a parking spot, 614 00:31:55,160 --> 00:31:59,360 Speaker 3: go through the stuff of like go on the locker, 615 00:31:59,400 --> 00:32:01,240 Speaker 3: put my stuff, wait dealing with people. I don't want 616 00:32:01,240 --> 00:32:02,960 Speaker 3: to deal with talking to people at five o'clock in 617 00:32:02,960 --> 00:32:04,479 Speaker 3: the morning. I don't want to talk with waiting for 618 00:32:04,480 --> 00:32:07,200 Speaker 3: people to like finish on their phone or get off 619 00:32:07,200 --> 00:32:12,360 Speaker 3: the whatever. That takes me out of the space that 620 00:32:12,440 --> 00:32:15,920 Speaker 3: I need to be in, which is focus, do the thing, 621 00:32:16,920 --> 00:32:19,840 Speaker 3: get this two and a half three hours of PT done. 622 00:32:20,840 --> 00:32:26,920 Speaker 3: If I add any additional stress to that morning routine, 623 00:32:27,360 --> 00:32:30,200 Speaker 3: the rest of the day is shot for everyone, because 624 00:32:30,240 --> 00:32:32,720 Speaker 3: if I'm having a bad day, everyone is having a 625 00:32:32,720 --> 00:32:33,440 Speaker 3: bad day. 626 00:32:33,600 --> 00:32:35,360 Speaker 4: So it's muscle memory. 627 00:32:35,480 --> 00:32:39,080 Speaker 3: I get up, I go to the gym, I work out, 628 00:32:39,320 --> 00:32:41,560 Speaker 3: I do what I gotta do, and then I have 629 00:32:41,600 --> 00:32:45,640 Speaker 3: the energy to sit down and write or edit or 630 00:32:45,720 --> 00:32:48,440 Speaker 3: answer emails or whatever it is the day has in 631 00:32:48,520 --> 00:32:49,080 Speaker 3: store for me. 632 00:32:49,680 --> 00:32:51,840 Speaker 4: But that's that's it. That's it. It's muscle memory. 633 00:32:52,160 --> 00:32:54,360 Speaker 2: I can only imagine how many people listening right now 634 00:32:54,400 --> 00:32:56,920 Speaker 2: are like that. I feel the exact same way. So 635 00:32:56,960 --> 00:33:00,880 Speaker 2: thank you for being so open and so vulnerable, because 636 00:33:00,920 --> 00:33:03,040 Speaker 2: that's sort of what this podcast is all about, is 637 00:33:03,080 --> 00:33:05,280 Speaker 2: to let people know, even if it's just one, that 638 00:33:05,360 --> 00:33:09,480 Speaker 2: they're not alone and that it's not so bad and 639 00:33:09,520 --> 00:33:12,840 Speaker 2: that you you can pull yourself out of it and 640 00:33:12,920 --> 00:33:17,120 Speaker 2: have somewhat of a life existence and it doesn't have 641 00:33:17,200 --> 00:33:20,160 Speaker 2: to ruin everything for you. 642 00:33:20,240 --> 00:33:23,360 Speaker 3: Yeah, that's one of the reasons I do comedy, like, 643 00:33:23,680 --> 00:33:27,720 Speaker 3: not specifically for veterans, but I do focus it, you know, 644 00:33:27,760 --> 00:33:31,200 Speaker 3: because you never the percentage of vets is so low, 645 00:33:31,720 --> 00:33:34,479 Speaker 3: and I never know when someone's in the audience and 646 00:33:34,680 --> 00:33:36,400 Speaker 3: just goes, oh, that. 647 00:33:36,600 --> 00:33:37,200 Speaker 1: Guy was like me. 648 00:33:37,280 --> 00:33:39,640 Speaker 3: We wore the same uniform, wore the same boots, and 649 00:33:39,680 --> 00:33:42,640 Speaker 3: now he's you know, I don't know what kid gets 650 00:33:42,640 --> 00:33:44,840 Speaker 3: out of the army or the Marines or whatever and goes, 651 00:33:44,880 --> 00:33:46,160 Speaker 3: I don't know what to do with my life. And 652 00:33:46,200 --> 00:33:48,840 Speaker 3: they go, oh, there's a dude with a microphone telling 653 00:33:49,000 --> 00:33:52,280 Speaker 3: jokes that jumped out of planes and like trudge through 654 00:33:52,320 --> 00:33:52,800 Speaker 3: the desert. 655 00:33:53,680 --> 00:33:57,240 Speaker 4: So I want to be that. 656 00:33:58,480 --> 00:34:05,240 Speaker 3: I hate the word inspiration because I don't feel like I. 657 00:34:04,920 --> 00:34:06,200 Speaker 4: Inspire anyone to do anything. 658 00:34:06,240 --> 00:34:12,520 Speaker 3: And if I do, I'm sorry, but I don't apologize. 659 00:34:12,080 --> 00:34:15,200 Speaker 3: I want people to go, oh, there's a there's a 660 00:34:15,239 --> 00:34:18,480 Speaker 3: guy that was like me, you know, and now he's 661 00:34:18,480 --> 00:34:22,319 Speaker 3: doing this thing that I didn't comedy? What was you know, 662 00:34:22,360 --> 00:34:24,640 Speaker 3: how disappointing I am to like the Asian community, like 663 00:34:24,680 --> 00:34:26,960 Speaker 3: my parents wanted a doctor or a lawyer or whatever, 664 00:34:27,000 --> 00:34:29,000 Speaker 3: and I'm like, I tell fart jokes for a living, 665 00:34:29,440 --> 00:34:35,080 Speaker 3: so you know, and even that, like the Asian people 666 00:34:35,080 --> 00:34:36,400 Speaker 3: to come up to me all the time, They're like, I. 667 00:34:36,400 --> 00:34:38,080 Speaker 4: Didn't think this was a thing you could do. It's like, 668 00:34:38,239 --> 00:34:39,000 Speaker 4: neither did I. 669 00:34:39,200 --> 00:34:39,360 Speaker 1: You know. 670 00:34:40,760 --> 00:34:42,600 Speaker 2: Can you give a little piece of advice before I 671 00:34:42,640 --> 00:34:46,360 Speaker 2: let you go to any aspiring comedians, whether they came 672 00:34:46,480 --> 00:34:50,399 Speaker 2: from a background similar to yours or wanting to get 673 00:34:50,440 --> 00:34:55,720 Speaker 2: into the industry, as it's definitely an interesting entertainment field 674 00:34:55,760 --> 00:34:56,560 Speaker 2: to be involved in. 675 00:34:58,440 --> 00:34:58,920 Speaker 4: Don't do it. 676 00:34:58,920 --> 00:35:03,759 Speaker 3: It's a terrible way career, all right, Joyce, No, No, 677 00:35:03,840 --> 00:35:07,560 Speaker 3: that's that's my go to dumb joke about that I 678 00:35:07,560 --> 00:35:11,840 Speaker 3: will give you the advice I tell every new aspiring comedian, 679 00:35:12,120 --> 00:35:19,320 Speaker 3: whether they're military veterans or not, get up on stage 680 00:35:19,360 --> 00:35:22,920 Speaker 3: as much as possible. Find an open mic, find a cafe, 681 00:35:23,160 --> 00:35:26,200 Speaker 3: find a you know, find a coffee shop that does it, 682 00:35:27,160 --> 00:35:27,799 Speaker 3: and just do it. 683 00:35:27,840 --> 00:35:29,879 Speaker 4: The only way you're going to do it is do it. 684 00:35:32,160 --> 00:35:33,920 Speaker 4: The second thing I will say is, and this is 685 00:35:33,960 --> 00:35:38,719 Speaker 4: like a personal observation that I came to in my 686 00:35:38,800 --> 00:35:39,800 Speaker 4: career about comedy. 687 00:35:41,600 --> 00:35:47,040 Speaker 3: Record everything. Every time you go on stage, record it. 688 00:35:47,719 --> 00:35:52,040 Speaker 3: You don't know when lightning is going to strike. And 689 00:35:54,080 --> 00:35:57,920 Speaker 3: the way comedy works, you could say something amazing, and 690 00:35:58,000 --> 00:36:01,800 Speaker 3: unless you're John Mulaney, who has like an incredible comedy mind, 691 00:36:01,880 --> 00:36:05,920 Speaker 3: you're going to forget. You are going to forget. Nothing 692 00:36:06,000 --> 00:36:08,960 Speaker 3: is ever so funny that you will not forget it. 693 00:36:09,360 --> 00:36:13,440 Speaker 4: I've lost jokes and bits to the ether because I 694 00:36:13,480 --> 00:36:16,440 Speaker 4: thought to myself, that's so funny. 695 00:36:17,040 --> 00:36:19,959 Speaker 3: I'm never gonna forget that. And then I go grab 696 00:36:20,000 --> 00:36:21,440 Speaker 3: a pizza and I'm like, what is that thing? 697 00:36:21,480 --> 00:36:21,839 Speaker 5: I said? 698 00:36:22,640 --> 00:36:23,320 Speaker 4: Just record? 699 00:36:23,760 --> 00:36:28,360 Speaker 3: Yeah, record everything, any funny thought you have, write it 700 00:36:28,400 --> 00:36:32,240 Speaker 3: down if you're in your car, like tell your phone 701 00:36:32,800 --> 00:36:34,360 Speaker 3: to to. 702 00:36:34,200 --> 00:36:35,040 Speaker 4: Create a note. 703 00:36:35,520 --> 00:36:41,960 Speaker 3: I cannot emphasize how much I take my own advice, 704 00:36:42,480 --> 00:36:43,279 Speaker 3: even to this day. 705 00:36:43,320 --> 00:36:44,640 Speaker 4: I'm like, that joke's so great. 706 00:36:44,719 --> 00:36:49,080 Speaker 3: And then go on, write everything down, Record everything, every 707 00:36:49,160 --> 00:36:51,719 Speaker 3: funny thought you have, even if it makes you laugh, 708 00:36:51,760 --> 00:36:54,120 Speaker 3: just for a second, write it down, because it could 709 00:36:54,239 --> 00:36:56,600 Speaker 3: turn into something amazing, it could. 710 00:36:56,680 --> 00:36:56,880 Speaker 5: You know. 711 00:36:57,000 --> 00:36:59,640 Speaker 4: I have a note in my phone now that says 712 00:36:59,680 --> 00:37:01,920 Speaker 4: monkey condoms. I have no idea what it meant. It 713 00:37:02,040 --> 00:37:04,240 Speaker 4: could be funny later. It justus funny. 714 00:37:04,680 --> 00:37:06,839 Speaker 3: It just it was just some dumb thing apparently I 715 00:37:06,880 --> 00:37:08,480 Speaker 3: wrote down. I was at a comedy club one night. 716 00:37:08,480 --> 00:37:10,840 Speaker 3: I was like, monkey condoms. I'm sure the thought was 717 00:37:10,840 --> 00:37:14,479 Speaker 3: in there, but yeah, just write it all down. 718 00:37:14,800 --> 00:37:16,719 Speaker 2: That's like a song that gets started and shelved and 719 00:37:16,760 --> 00:37:18,399 Speaker 2: then you can pull it back out later and add 720 00:37:18,440 --> 00:37:20,319 Speaker 2: to it if you or remember it. 721 00:37:21,239 --> 00:37:24,600 Speaker 3: Oh and I say this as a former Apple employee. 722 00:37:26,840 --> 00:37:29,399 Speaker 3: Back up your phone. From the love of God, back 723 00:37:29,440 --> 00:37:33,960 Speaker 3: it up. Kirk Hammett from Metallica told a heartbreaking story 724 00:37:33,960 --> 00:37:38,000 Speaker 3: about like he had hundreds of riffs recorded into his phone, 725 00:37:38,719 --> 00:37:40,960 Speaker 3: like in his voice memo, and then he lost the 726 00:37:41,000 --> 00:37:43,520 Speaker 3: phone and then he and he didn't back it up, 727 00:37:43,760 --> 00:37:47,840 Speaker 3: and we lost hundreds of hours of Metallica music because 728 00:37:48,120 --> 00:37:51,400 Speaker 3: Kirk didn't back up his iPhone. So as a nerd, 729 00:37:51,760 --> 00:37:54,319 Speaker 3: as a former Apple guy, for the love of God, 730 00:37:54,360 --> 00:37:56,600 Speaker 3: as an Asian, back up your phone. 731 00:37:56,840 --> 00:37:57,880 Speaker 4: Just plug it into. 732 00:37:57,719 --> 00:38:01,800 Speaker 3: Your computer, back it up. That's it's like the Cloud's fine. 733 00:38:02,200 --> 00:38:05,759 Speaker 3: Back up your phone. But yeah, write everything down, Write 734 00:38:05,760 --> 00:38:07,799 Speaker 3: all your jokes and write every thought you have down. 735 00:38:08,120 --> 00:38:11,440 Speaker 3: It could be something great, could be nothing. But if 736 00:38:11,440 --> 00:38:12,680 Speaker 3: you forget it, you'll never know. 737 00:38:13,280 --> 00:38:14,960 Speaker 1: All Right, one last thing, as you're telling me this, 738 00:38:15,960 --> 00:38:17,960 Speaker 1: have you ever bombed? And if you have? 739 00:38:19,000 --> 00:38:21,440 Speaker 4: H have I ever bombed? Tuesday? I bothered? 740 00:38:21,600 --> 00:38:21,880 Speaker 1: Okay? 741 00:38:22,560 --> 00:38:24,799 Speaker 2: How do you deal with that? Because that, I mean, 742 00:38:24,800 --> 00:38:26,719 Speaker 2: that's sort of the dance you play, right. You want 743 00:38:26,760 --> 00:38:28,879 Speaker 2: to give the laughter to the people to make them 744 00:38:28,920 --> 00:38:31,719 Speaker 2: feel better and to know that they're not alone. You're 745 00:38:31,719 --> 00:38:34,480 Speaker 2: helping yourself by making them laugh. And then one night 746 00:38:34,560 --> 00:38:37,480 Speaker 2: you go out and then they're not laughing. How do 747 00:38:37,520 --> 00:38:38,160 Speaker 2: you deal with that? 748 00:38:38,960 --> 00:38:42,840 Speaker 3: It's about experience and like, you never want to bomb 749 00:38:42,880 --> 00:38:46,360 Speaker 3: to the point that you can't recover, Like the moment 750 00:38:46,560 --> 00:38:52,279 Speaker 3: I feel like I'm starting to lose them. And this 751 00:38:52,360 --> 00:38:54,520 Speaker 3: is this is a military analogy. It's it's the one 752 00:38:54,560 --> 00:38:58,040 Speaker 3: I use as a paratrooper. No matter how many times 753 00:38:58,160 --> 00:39:00,840 Speaker 3: I've jumped out of a plane or gone on stage 754 00:39:00,880 --> 00:39:04,960 Speaker 3: as a comedian, as a professional, something can go wrong, 755 00:39:05,400 --> 00:39:07,840 Speaker 3: just like jumping out of a plane. Sometimes your parachute 756 00:39:07,880 --> 00:39:09,920 Speaker 3: doesn't open, Sometimes it does a cigarette roll. 757 00:39:10,000 --> 00:39:13,280 Speaker 4: Sometimes the rigor didn't pack it correctly. 758 00:39:14,480 --> 00:39:17,840 Speaker 3: If you don't have the experience to know, hey, this 759 00:39:17,880 --> 00:39:19,640 Speaker 3: is where you pull the pin on your reserve choote 760 00:39:19,640 --> 00:39:22,800 Speaker 3: and start slapping away, then you're just gonna going to 761 00:39:22,920 --> 00:39:24,920 Speaker 3: slam into the ground two hundred miles an hour. As 762 00:39:24,960 --> 00:39:29,919 Speaker 3: a comedian, you have to realize when things are going 763 00:39:29,960 --> 00:39:34,120 Speaker 3: wrong and have the experience to go in your head 764 00:39:34,440 --> 00:39:38,279 Speaker 3: very quickly. What joke can pull me out of this 765 00:39:38,400 --> 00:39:41,440 Speaker 3: dead spin? Like, what joke is going to be my 766 00:39:41,440 --> 00:39:45,000 Speaker 3: reserve parachute? What can I say or do right now 767 00:39:45,040 --> 00:39:49,560 Speaker 3: to turn this back around? Sometimes sometimes you just hit 768 00:39:49,600 --> 00:39:53,520 Speaker 3: the ground at three hundred miles an hour. It just happens. 769 00:39:54,200 --> 00:39:58,760 Speaker 3: But you know, just like JUMPIN'I airplanes, it's muscle memory. 770 00:39:59,239 --> 00:40:01,600 Speaker 3: You have a split second to decide what's going on, 771 00:40:03,840 --> 00:40:05,560 Speaker 3: and you can hurt for a minute, or you can 772 00:40:05,640 --> 00:40:06,520 Speaker 3: hurt a lot later. 773 00:40:07,200 --> 00:40:08,640 Speaker 4: But it's it's really. 774 00:40:08,360 --> 00:40:12,120 Speaker 3: About having the experience and the knowledge to go all right, 775 00:40:12,280 --> 00:40:15,200 Speaker 3: this didn't work. Do I need a breaching around? Do 776 00:40:15,239 --> 00:40:16,960 Speaker 3: I need a clay more? Do I need a grenade? 777 00:40:17,000 --> 00:40:18,560 Speaker 3: Do I need small arms fire? Do I need to 778 00:40:18,600 --> 00:40:20,200 Speaker 3: call in clos air support? 779 00:40:20,719 --> 00:40:20,839 Speaker 5: Like? 780 00:40:20,920 --> 00:40:22,440 Speaker 4: And that's those are you know? 781 00:40:22,480 --> 00:40:24,759 Speaker 3: You have these jokes and these bits after years of 782 00:40:25,239 --> 00:40:28,879 Speaker 3: working as a comedian and to understand, all right, this 783 00:40:28,960 --> 00:40:30,560 Speaker 3: is I don't want to call them the enemy, but. 784 00:40:30,520 --> 00:40:33,520 Speaker 4: Sometimes you know the audience is hostile. 785 00:40:34,160 --> 00:40:37,960 Speaker 3: And then yeah, you can either use the tools at 786 00:40:38,000 --> 00:40:42,400 Speaker 3: your disposal, which are your career and your job and 787 00:40:42,440 --> 00:40:47,480 Speaker 3: your experience to write that ship, or as I saw 788 00:40:47,600 --> 00:40:53,400 Speaker 3: comic recently, do just nuke the place. Just it just 789 00:40:54,640 --> 00:40:55,440 Speaker 3: things weren't. 790 00:40:55,160 --> 00:40:56,760 Speaker 1: Going right, Just go down in flames. 791 00:40:56,960 --> 00:41:01,479 Speaker 3: Yeah, things weren't I saw comic very recently. It wasn't 792 00:41:01,520 --> 00:41:05,239 Speaker 3: me who was not having a good set, was not 793 00:41:06,920 --> 00:41:10,400 Speaker 3: dealing with the audience correctly, or well, I don't know 794 00:41:10,440 --> 00:41:14,239 Speaker 3: what this person's thought process was on the day or 795 00:41:14,280 --> 00:41:17,520 Speaker 3: at the time, but just nuked it. It was just 796 00:41:17,560 --> 00:41:21,040 Speaker 3: like calling the B two, just nuke this place, and 797 00:41:21,239 --> 00:41:25,040 Speaker 3: just like the set went up in flames. It just 798 00:41:26,080 --> 00:41:29,520 Speaker 3: that's I don't know what was going on in that 799 00:41:29,560 --> 00:41:33,480 Speaker 3: person's mind. At the time, but it's it's weird here 800 00:41:33,480 --> 00:41:35,400 Speaker 3: in Hollywood because you have like these shows where they're 801 00:41:35,440 --> 00:41:37,360 Speaker 3: like last night, there were six or seven comics on 802 00:41:37,400 --> 00:41:41,120 Speaker 3: the show, and you don't want to do that in 803 00:41:41,160 --> 00:41:43,560 Speaker 3: a situation where comics got to go up after you. 804 00:41:43,960 --> 00:41:45,200 Speaker 1: That's what I was going to ask you, Like, what 805 00:41:45,239 --> 00:41:46,640 Speaker 1: if you're following that? 806 00:41:46,640 --> 00:41:49,640 Speaker 3: That's horrible because because I had to follow that person. 807 00:41:49,719 --> 00:41:53,760 Speaker 4: Oh no, yeah, Luckily I'm really good at my job. 808 00:41:54,239 --> 00:41:57,000 Speaker 4: So I watched it go down and I was like, 809 00:41:57,040 --> 00:41:58,400 Speaker 4: oh my god, what I have to. 810 00:42:00,080 --> 00:42:03,200 Speaker 3: So, like in my head as I'm walking on stage, 811 00:42:03,360 --> 00:42:07,160 Speaker 3: because this comic nuked the place and then was like bye. 812 00:42:08,520 --> 00:42:11,120 Speaker 3: So literally, as I'm walking on stage, what I had 813 00:42:11,160 --> 00:42:12,879 Speaker 3: planned in my head and what I wanted to do 814 00:42:13,000 --> 00:42:15,359 Speaker 3: that went out the window because now I'm going, how 815 00:42:15,360 --> 00:42:17,200 Speaker 3: do I get this back? Because I don't want to 816 00:42:17,200 --> 00:42:19,239 Speaker 3: fight this audience. I don't have time for this. I 817 00:42:19,280 --> 00:42:20,600 Speaker 3: had a thing that I was going to do. I 818 00:42:20,600 --> 00:42:22,000 Speaker 3: have new jokes that I want to work on, and 819 00:42:22,000 --> 00:42:24,239 Speaker 3: I need them in a headspace where I can do that. 820 00:42:24,520 --> 00:42:26,799 Speaker 3: So what do I have to do now to fix that? 821 00:42:27,600 --> 00:42:31,600 Speaker 3: It's different if you're like headlining and there's three comics 822 00:42:31,880 --> 00:42:34,840 Speaker 3: and you're the headliner and the room just bombs. Sure 823 00:42:35,360 --> 00:42:40,000 Speaker 3: nukem doesn't matter. You're in Iowa. Boom, drop that bomb, 824 00:42:40,000 --> 00:42:42,480 Speaker 3: Get on a plane and leave, doesn't matter after that, 825 00:42:42,520 --> 00:42:44,400 Speaker 3: you don't want to do that. But I can understand 826 00:42:44,400 --> 00:42:47,440 Speaker 3: why some comics do that. But for me, it is, 827 00:42:47,640 --> 00:42:50,040 Speaker 3: you know, what's in my bag of tricks? What's in 828 00:42:50,080 --> 00:42:53,560 Speaker 3: my bandolier of like Ammo? What can I do to 829 00:42:53,760 --> 00:42:56,160 Speaker 3: fix this situation, to do the thing that I need 830 00:42:56,200 --> 00:42:56,400 Speaker 3: to do. 831 00:42:56,560 --> 00:42:57,600 Speaker 1: It just dawned on me too. 832 00:42:57,640 --> 00:43:00,600 Speaker 2: You you worked in radio, and that is it's very 833 00:43:00,600 --> 00:43:02,759 Speaker 2: helpful for being having to be quick because you're on 834 00:43:02,800 --> 00:43:04,440 Speaker 2: the air live, so you got to come up with 835 00:43:04,480 --> 00:43:06,719 Speaker 2: something if something happens, and you have to learn how 836 00:43:06,719 --> 00:43:07,520 Speaker 2: to be very quick. 837 00:43:08,760 --> 00:43:11,400 Speaker 4: So I mean, I was a traffic reporter in Los Angeles. 838 00:43:11,480 --> 00:43:15,160 Speaker 1: I was a traffic reporter in Boston. Oh really, okay 839 00:43:15,200 --> 00:43:16,960 Speaker 1: did you work Did you work for Metro Networks? 840 00:43:17,840 --> 00:43:20,440 Speaker 4: Yes, me too. That's where I started. That's where I 841 00:43:20,440 --> 00:43:21,120 Speaker 4: started my career. 842 00:43:21,200 --> 00:43:23,080 Speaker 1: Shut the front door? Are you wait? 843 00:43:23,120 --> 00:43:25,000 Speaker 2: We could put this work because it's a podcast? Are 844 00:43:25,040 --> 00:43:26,600 Speaker 2: you serious? That's where I started? 845 00:43:27,239 --> 00:43:28,920 Speaker 4: Yeah, I started Metro in Buffalo. 846 00:43:29,239 --> 00:43:31,240 Speaker 1: Oh my god, I Metro traffic. 847 00:43:31,680 --> 00:43:34,360 Speaker 3: Did you have like Metro and then Shadow or it 848 00:43:34,440 --> 00:43:35,920 Speaker 3: was a shadow first. I think of Shadow and then 849 00:43:35,920 --> 00:43:36,799 Speaker 3: it was Metro. 850 00:43:37,719 --> 00:43:41,400 Speaker 2: The Metro networks because they started doing news traffic. 851 00:43:41,520 --> 00:43:42,400 Speaker 1: Do you know when that happened? 852 00:43:42,480 --> 00:43:44,839 Speaker 2: I was doing traffic and then the og Simpson thing 853 00:43:44,880 --> 00:43:46,400 Speaker 2: happened the next thing, you know, I was not just 854 00:43:46,440 --> 00:43:47,000 Speaker 2: doing traffic. 855 00:43:47,000 --> 00:43:48,920 Speaker 1: I was doing news hits in the afternoon. 856 00:43:49,200 --> 00:43:49,759 Speaker 4: Yep about it? 857 00:43:49,840 --> 00:43:52,759 Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean as a traffic reporter in Los Angeles, 858 00:43:52,960 --> 00:43:55,640 Speaker 3: like if there's a car chase, then you're a news 859 00:43:55,640 --> 00:43:58,719 Speaker 3: reporter because now you're following a crime. 860 00:43:58,840 --> 00:43:59,440 Speaker 1: Wow. 861 00:43:59,719 --> 00:44:02,279 Speaker 2: Yes, do you have to know how to do like 862 00:44:02,400 --> 00:44:05,319 Speaker 2: fifteen twenty things while you're talking to the fixed wing 863 00:44:05,400 --> 00:44:07,880 Speaker 2: or the helicopter getting a report of something to go 864 00:44:07,920 --> 00:44:10,120 Speaker 2: on the air and you get ten stations waiting for you. 865 00:44:10,719 --> 00:44:13,040 Speaker 4: Yeah? Wow Yeah. 866 00:44:13,440 --> 00:44:17,080 Speaker 3: Did they just you know, is there another precinct taken over? 867 00:44:17,280 --> 00:44:18,600 Speaker 3: Is there another you know? 868 00:44:18,640 --> 00:44:21,919 Speaker 4: Did they go into somebody else's jurisdiction? Who's police cars 869 00:44:21,960 --> 00:44:23,560 Speaker 4: or those are those? Yeah? 870 00:44:23,760 --> 00:44:25,560 Speaker 2: I knew we had some type of connection. I just 871 00:44:25,560 --> 00:44:28,120 Speaker 2: didn't know what it was. And that nailed it right there, 872 00:44:28,960 --> 00:44:31,600 Speaker 2: Tom Tran. It was so wonderful getting to catch up 873 00:44:31,600 --> 00:44:34,719 Speaker 2: with you and hear about your journey and all of 874 00:44:34,719 --> 00:44:38,120 Speaker 2: the incredible things that you shared with us. And I 875 00:44:38,200 --> 00:44:41,480 Speaker 2: really hope that it helps someone, because I know it 876 00:44:41,480 --> 00:44:44,920 Speaker 2: helped me just hearing you talk. And thank you for 877 00:44:44,960 --> 00:44:47,960 Speaker 2: your selfless service to our country and to our veterans 878 00:44:48,200 --> 00:44:51,719 Speaker 2: and to all of us with your humor, it's so 879 00:44:51,800 --> 00:44:52,520 Speaker 2: much appreciated. 880 00:44:52,520 --> 00:44:54,239 Speaker 1: And thank you for coming on Comedy Save Me. 881 00:44:55,239 --> 00:44:56,279 Speaker 4: Yeah, thanks for having me. 882 00:44:56,560 --> 00:44:58,920 Speaker 3: Maybe next time I'll do music Save Me because I 883 00:44:59,360 --> 00:45:00,319 Speaker 3: have things to say about me. 884 00:45:00,480 --> 00:45:02,560 Speaker 2: I would love to what's the name of your band? 885 00:45:02,600 --> 00:45:05,799 Speaker 2: The Tom Tran Band? Correct, the Tom Tran Band. 886 00:45:05,840 --> 00:45:08,480 Speaker 3: I also have a Star Trek themed Motley Crue cover 887 00:45:08,560 --> 00:45:09,959 Speaker 3: band called the Bridge Crew. 888 00:45:10,120 --> 00:45:12,840 Speaker 2: Oh, whoa, whoa, we need to buzz. Can we have 889 00:45:12,960 --> 00:45:14,719 Speaker 2: him on Music Save Me too? 890 00:45:16,320 --> 00:45:20,399 Speaker 3: We've played a nice we played uh William Shatner's ninety 891 00:45:20,400 --> 00:45:21,040 Speaker 3: third birth No. 892 00:45:21,080 --> 00:45:25,080 Speaker 1: You didn't, Are you serious? How was that? Did you 893 00:45:25,080 --> 00:45:26,359 Speaker 1: get a chance to chat with him? 894 00:45:26,360 --> 00:45:31,280 Speaker 3: And so his The movie I Just did with Morgan 895 00:45:31,320 --> 00:45:34,680 Speaker 3: Freeman was produced by the same studio that did Shatner's 896 00:45:34,680 --> 00:45:39,279 Speaker 3: documentary and long story short, the producer found out I 897 00:45:39,280 --> 00:45:40,840 Speaker 3: had this band, and he's like, do you want to 898 00:45:40,880 --> 00:45:43,440 Speaker 3: play his birthday and is Bill Shatner's birthday is the 899 00:45:43,440 --> 00:45:45,359 Speaker 3: same day as James T. Kirk's birthday, which is March 900 00:45:45,400 --> 00:45:47,400 Speaker 3: twenty second, twenty two thirty three, not really twenty two 901 00:45:47,440 --> 00:45:48,000 Speaker 3: thirty three. 902 00:45:47,880 --> 00:45:48,400 Speaker 4: But whatever. 903 00:45:48,719 --> 00:45:52,760 Speaker 3: So they premiered the movie in la on March twenty first, 904 00:45:52,880 --> 00:45:56,239 Speaker 3: and they did it at the studio where they shot 905 00:45:56,320 --> 00:45:58,480 Speaker 3: the original Star Trek, the original series. 906 00:45:58,719 --> 00:45:58,959 Speaker 1: God. 907 00:45:59,440 --> 00:46:03,000 Speaker 4: So my band and played and like he was turning 908 00:46:03,120 --> 00:46:03,880 Speaker 4: ninety three? 909 00:46:04,200 --> 00:46:05,600 Speaker 1: You were in heaven, weren't you? 910 00:46:05,960 --> 00:46:06,240 Speaker 4: Second? 911 00:46:07,080 --> 00:46:11,600 Speaker 3: Yeah, well, it was like ten thirty at night, and 912 00:46:11,640 --> 00:46:14,400 Speaker 3: Shatner is giving a speech that just kept going on 913 00:46:14,480 --> 00:46:16,080 Speaker 3: and on, and I looked at the sant Age manager. 914 00:46:16,080 --> 00:46:19,279 Speaker 3: I'm like, hey man, I'm fifty years younger than and 915 00:46:19,360 --> 00:46:22,520 Speaker 3: I am tired right now. Can we heard this up? 916 00:46:22,560 --> 00:46:25,880 Speaker 3: Because the band has another hour to play. I'm like, 917 00:46:27,080 --> 00:46:31,520 Speaker 3: thank you, mister Shatner. And then I think about a 918 00:46:31,600 --> 00:46:35,640 Speaker 3: year later, Yeah, just over the spring. Here's a weird 919 00:46:35,640 --> 00:46:39,000 Speaker 3: sentence I get to say. Jay Leno called me and 920 00:46:39,400 --> 00:46:42,240 Speaker 3: he asks me to present an award to William Shatner. 921 00:46:42,320 --> 00:46:44,360 Speaker 3: And the first question I had for Jay Leno was 922 00:46:44,520 --> 00:46:45,800 Speaker 3: how did you get my phone number? 923 00:46:45,920 --> 00:46:47,320 Speaker 4: I never gave you my phone number. 924 00:46:48,080 --> 00:46:51,280 Speaker 3: But then yeah, I said I'd give Shatner this award 925 00:46:51,640 --> 00:46:55,640 Speaker 3: because they're buddies, and I like my I had a 926 00:46:55,680 --> 00:46:57,960 Speaker 3: twenty minute set about why Jay Leno wasn't there. It 927 00:46:58,000 --> 00:47:00,239 Speaker 3: was a last minute thing he asked me to cover 928 00:47:00,320 --> 00:47:04,560 Speaker 3: for him. Shatner missed the entire twenty minutes about why 929 00:47:04,600 --> 00:47:07,200 Speaker 3: I'm there. He shows up right before we give him 930 00:47:07,200 --> 00:47:10,640 Speaker 3: the award, and I did the announcement and I hand 931 00:47:10,719 --> 00:47:13,200 Speaker 3: him the award. There's a photo of me handing Bill 932 00:47:13,200 --> 00:47:16,520 Speaker 3: Shatner an award and as a Star trek nerd falling 933 00:47:16,560 --> 00:47:20,080 Speaker 3: all over myself. And then he again he doesn't know 934 00:47:21,200 --> 00:47:24,480 Speaker 3: why Jay's not there, and he doesn't know who I am, 935 00:47:25,080 --> 00:47:29,400 Speaker 3: and he says, Jay you look you age really well, 936 00:47:29,560 --> 00:47:33,040 Speaker 3: like a young Asian woman. And I'm like, WHOA, How 937 00:47:33,120 --> 00:47:36,239 Speaker 3: am I taking straight from Bill Shatner because I'm doing 938 00:47:36,280 --> 00:47:37,680 Speaker 3: a favor for Jay Leno. 939 00:47:39,920 --> 00:47:41,799 Speaker 2: Well, did Jay leto know that you were a huge 940 00:47:41,840 --> 00:47:43,560 Speaker 2: Star trek fan in that why that's why he. 941 00:47:43,560 --> 00:47:44,000 Speaker 5: Called Or. 942 00:47:45,880 --> 00:47:49,040 Speaker 3: The joke is that he called me after he called 943 00:47:49,080 --> 00:47:50,400 Speaker 3: every other comedian. 944 00:47:50,040 --> 00:47:52,560 Speaker 1: In which I think you were last on the list. 945 00:47:52,760 --> 00:47:53,239 Speaker 4: Yeah, it was. 946 00:47:53,840 --> 00:47:56,520 Speaker 3: I think the event was actually on a Jewish holiday 947 00:47:56,560 --> 00:47:59,279 Speaker 3: and he called like Seinfeld and a bunch of people 948 00:47:59,320 --> 00:48:02,920 Speaker 3: are like, no, we're Jewish, right, and like it's Rashashana 949 00:48:03,000 --> 00:48:03,400 Speaker 3: or whatever. 950 00:48:03,600 --> 00:48:04,800 Speaker 1: It's like the highest holiday. 951 00:48:05,200 --> 00:48:08,279 Speaker 3: Okay, yeah, it was one of the high high holy holidays. 952 00:48:08,719 --> 00:48:13,200 Speaker 3: And then like he finally called me because I think 953 00:48:13,239 --> 00:48:17,239 Speaker 3: in his head he went, Tom's a heathen and he 954 00:48:17,440 --> 00:48:22,360 Speaker 3: likes Star Trek. So I got that call after literally 955 00:48:22,360 --> 00:48:25,000 Speaker 3: everybody in town because I called my friends. I was like, hey, 956 00:48:25,320 --> 00:48:27,680 Speaker 3: Leno just called me, and every single one of my 957 00:48:27,680 --> 00:48:29,440 Speaker 3: friends went, yeah, he called me to I can't do it. 958 00:48:29,480 --> 00:48:31,360 Speaker 1: Oh come on, no he didn't. 959 00:48:32,440 --> 00:48:36,080 Speaker 2: You're just saying that to You're so incredibly talented and 960 00:48:36,120 --> 00:48:39,799 Speaker 2: you're just you shouldn't belittle yourself like that. 961 00:48:40,520 --> 00:48:44,040 Speaker 3: One of the things Jay said to me was, Hey, 962 00:48:44,120 --> 00:48:46,759 Speaker 3: I need you to do this thing. The LAPD is 963 00:48:46,800 --> 00:48:49,279 Speaker 3: giving Bill Shatner an award. He goes, if you do it, 964 00:48:49,680 --> 00:48:52,439 Speaker 3: you'll never get a ticket again. And I said to Jay, 965 00:48:52,800 --> 00:48:55,279 Speaker 3: I have purple heart plates on my I haven't had 966 00:48:55,440 --> 00:48:57,359 Speaker 3: tickets since I was twenty five years old. 967 00:48:57,840 --> 00:48:58,319 Speaker 1: Take that. 968 00:49:00,120 --> 00:49:03,480 Speaker 2: Keep doing everything that you're doing, and don't change and 969 00:49:04,040 --> 00:49:06,279 Speaker 2: just please come back and see us again on maybe 970 00:49:06,280 --> 00:49:09,200 Speaker 2: another podcast so we can talk about your incredible music career. 971 00:49:09,480 --> 00:49:12,520 Speaker 1: We'll talk to you again soon. Good luck with everything. Thanks,