July 17, 2024 • 22 mins
Caroline Hirsch joins us to talk about the New York Comedy Festival!
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Live from the Mercedes Benz Interview Lounge.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
Got to tell you, you know, we've been doing this for
so long. This show has been on the air for
twenty how many years we've been on twenty eight years
with this show.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
I'm just talking about this in the green room with
Caroline and we were like, how long have you been
doing this? Oh my gosh, I ca and we were
reminiscing about all the comedians that have come through here
on what has happened and how some of them said
things they shouldn't have said.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
That happens. Well, I got to say, you know, New
York City, the quintessential big, big, big cornerstones of New
York City, Elaine's and Madison Square Garden and let's say
Carnegie Delly Studio fifty four, and of course Caroline's Comedy Club.
Caroline Hirsch is here. We've known you for so long,
and even though the comedy club is not open, you
(00:48):
will always be Your name will always be synonymous with
comedy in New York City until long we're all long gone.
Welcome to the show.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
Thank you. Wow, this is Fancy Diggs here.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Whoa you like it?
Speaker 4 (01:00):
Fancy? It's all for so it's really great. What a studio. Yeah, well,
thank you so much for that. I'm you know, right
up there with Madison Square Gardens. That's a good thing.
So yeah, we're excited. You know, we created the festival,
the New York Comedy Festival, twenty years ago.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
You believe that, twenty years and it goes like that.
Speaker 4 (01:23):
So we're really excited to be in business for twenty
years with that, and that gets bigger and bigger every year.
And then I get to work with everybody that kind
of started at Carolines, So you know, I get to
work with you know, everybody that started there that's still around.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Well, yeah, I have a list of things I want
to talk about, including you know, some of the comedians
we've lost along the way. But and of course Greg
Charles is here too, and we were just talking with Caroline.
I mean, you guys are like joined at they have
you even worked with each other for so many years?
How many years of you two worked with each other
twenty five? I think just twenty four, I think, yeah, right,
more than yes, we've all been together about the same
(02:01):
amount of tix.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
Crazy.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
But we were talking about Carolina, how Greg used to
bring in these big names in comedy back then. A
lot of them aren't with us anymore. But you know
the names that you used to bring it. Do you
even remember any of those that you and Caroline would
bring to our show? Oh? Wow, yeah, John Pennett.
Speaker 5 (02:21):
Remember John loved doing the Elvis. Your show was the
only show he liked to do. I remember every time
we would book John, I would get a call on
my cell phone and he wouldn't even say hello, He
would just be like.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
Are we doing Elvis? He was such a sweetheart. We
always had great catering when he was in. I mean,
God rest his soul. Caroline, you weren't there to day
when when when Greg brought one of the times he
brought John Pinette in, we gave him a big bowl
of I think I think it was potato salad.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
Yeah, that was the first time we ever met him.
I came in the studio and I said, I'm not
sure this is supposed to happened, but the guy who's
coming in, he's eating the whole potato salad himself with
a full.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
Johnette he brought it. It was a part of the
interview at the Potatoes. Now we internew John Bennette and
a potato salad.
Speaker 4 (03:12):
Ye.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Anyway, I do want to get into the New York
Comedy Festival over twenty years rolling, we got to talk
about that and who's going to be there this year.
Let's talk about comedy, Caroline, you know, how has comedy
changed since the day you opened your first location of Caroline's.
Speaker 4 (03:29):
Has it changed well in your opinion, Let's talk about
how many people are doing it now. You know, you
could count on your hands the amount of headliners. You know,
at the first club there were maybe thirteen fifteen headliners
that used to rotate and come back to the club.
Now we have a whole two other generations of comedians
that have come out of that. You know, from forty
(03:50):
years ago, from watching the John Stewarts on The Daily Show.
You know, there was a whole breed that came out
of that that are like in the thirties and forties
right now. So it's it's increased in size, it's as
smart as can be, it's as relevant as can be,
and it's it's it's it's part of our culture. It's
(04:10):
part of the American culture today.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
To be funny, I think we need it today more
than ever. We need to laugh more than ever.
Speaker 4 (04:18):
You know, with everything that's happening, you know in our
world today, it's it's just you know, it's it's a
stress relief. So everybody should kind of like embrace the
festival for a week. Think youre going to a spy everynight.
Go out and buy a ticket and this will be
your cool down. So to go see a lot of
(04:38):
our headliners here that are all the will be all
the big stars of the future. Trust me, you know,
I look back to how we started the festival and
started Carolines and the amount of people that have come
out of that club. I mean, I didn't realize what
we were creating at that time, and with the help
of you know, all the media to enbra what we were
(05:00):
doing at that time and putting it and putting it
as a as an art, which is what I always thought.
It was the hardest thing to ever do, much harder
than acting. It's you know, to be funny on stage.
So I'm glad we came and I'm glad we were
part of it, and I get to continue to do
this stuff.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
So I love that. I love that you're still doing
this and we'll be for ever more doing it. And
also we look to comedy as sort of the gauge
as to where we are in our lives as far
as what we get away with and talking and conversations
political this and that. And I've noticed, you know, we
we've all noticed the trend over the years of comedians
(05:38):
back in the day could get away with so many
things and no one was really offended. And now you know,
it's every everyone has has sort of had to change
and evolve. And I get that. And what is your
feeling about, you know, the story that comes out every
once in a while people go to clubs and watch
a comedian and they start heckling and start like interacting
with a comedian in a negative way because it don't
(06:00):
like their material.
Speaker 4 (06:01):
I know, it's you know, I you know, I know
there's a whole thing now with crowd work, and everybody's
doing crowd work.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
To me, it's the hackiest form of comedy.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
Yeah, you know, we really.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
We never liked we never liked it.
Speaker 4 (06:14):
Look, I know, it's entertaining for the audience and this
and that, and a lot of comedians are now getting
content because it's in the moment kind of stuff that
they can use. But we always thought it was like
pretty hacky when when that happened.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
So, I mean, I think that's rude.
Speaker 4 (06:28):
But then again, comedians should not, you know, start start
doing it with with with the audience so that they
have a field data answer them back.
Speaker 3 (06:37):
So that's how I feel about that.
Speaker 2 (06:39):
You know who really loves a lot of comedians and
comedy itself is Gandhi right over here, and we all do.
And Danielle has a she's gonna be a part of
the festival. We got to work about that in a second.
Speaker 4 (06:48):
Two.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Gandhi, when you first came to work with us, you
said we got to get more comedians through here.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (06:53):
I wanted to complian every Friday. I was like, I
know they're in the city, I know that Fridays are
a fun day, and just just have medians in here.
I thought it'd be awesome. I don't know why we don't, Nate.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
I love they bring another dimension to what's going on.
Speaker 6 (07:14):
And fun fact, you know, Elvis's birthday is coming up
and he told us not to do anything, and I
thought it'd be really funny to put together a roast.
When I tell you, I got shut down from every
avenue possible.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
It's not happening. Thought a roast.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
It's a toast.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
No, it's a roast. These people roast me every frig
and day. By the way, if you're just turning us on,
Caroline Herst's here along with that friend Greg Charles, and
Caroline's New York Comedy Festival is on the way. Let's
talk about that. Let's talk about how to get in,
Let's talk about who's going to be there, and how
Danielle is a part of it as well. So you
go first, Caroline.
Speaker 4 (07:52):
So Danielle, we're going to be doing a uhud are left?
Speaker 2 (07:58):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (07:58):
Well yeah, okay, Well we're doing something with Danielle and
we'll be announcing that, you know.
Speaker 3 (08:03):
Very the dates and everything.
Speaker 1 (08:04):
No, it's November twelve, is the case. You want to
put it down, and it's called down for Laughs, And
all the proceeds are for Down Syndrome for Hearts of Joy,
which is an amazing organization that helps Down syndrome children
with their heart operations if they can't afford it here
and in other countries, because one of the biggest things
(08:26):
with children with Down syndrome is a lot of them
have heart defects and a lot of places they don't
even know they have the heart defects, and so she
comes in and hearts of Joy and they help with that.
And so that's what we're gonna We're putting together a
show to benefit that on November twelfth.
Speaker 2 (08:40):
So we're excited.
Speaker 4 (08:40):
Okay, So, and the festival will start on November eighth
through the seventeenth, So we have over We're gonna have
close to over two hundred shows and god knows something,
three hundred comedians Christ all of them.
Speaker 3 (08:56):
I beam them in.
Speaker 4 (08:58):
Yeah, okay, you know, but but you know of interest
of some of the people that we worked in the past,
you know, Judd Apatow, Jabouki Young White, Gabriel and Glacias, JB. Smooth,
Tracy Morgan, Joe Liszt, Dan soder, Zara zag. I mean,
we have a list of people here that are the
(09:19):
most some amazing talent that I worked with before, and
other people that worked at Caroline's and now we're producing
at a larger venue.
Speaker 3 (09:26):
How cool.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
Well look at that. Wow, you know one of my
funniest stories. I'm sure you have a million. Have you writen?
First of all, back back up one step, Caroline, have
you ever thought about writing a book about about Carolines
and the history of this incredible institution.
Speaker 4 (09:40):
I have thought about it. I'd like to do that.
You think it'll sell, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
Absolutely, I mean one of my I mean, you're full
of stories. One of my favorite stories is when you
dropped little lines like this Carolyn and go, yeah, I
remember this little short comedian drive down from Philly and
he'd be like the host of some nights at Caroline's.
Maybe you've heard of him, Kevin Hart. I mean, she
(10:07):
name drops like that all the time. You're like, oh
my god, Kevin Hart. Any comedian that says Carolines, what's that,
they're not a comedian. And they would all say, if
you don't roll through Carolines, you're not you're not successful.
Speaker 3 (10:18):
We were just.
Speaker 4 (10:18):
Talking about Dave Chappelle doing, you know, trying out his show,
The Chappelle's Show that he did for Comedy Central. He
would come to Caroline on Monday nights and do a
mock show to see if it was working. So we
did that for a number of like a month of
him taking those kind of shows.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
So they'd be like surprises, like they just would like
you go to see one person and then then Dave
Chappelle would just pop up.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, it was Monday nights.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
Yeah, crazy part of someone's history.
Speaker 3 (10:45):
That's amazing. It's been amazing.
Speaker 4 (10:48):
It's just been amazing, you know from you know some
of my my my Richard Belzer, Richard Lewis that has passed,
John Pinnette, Gary Shanling, Gilbert Godfreed. You know, these were
my people I started with there at the club, and
it's just been Yeah, it's.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
In the roy I've lost so many, so many of
the greats.
Speaker 4 (11:09):
Right.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
What about the comedians that are so hot and then
they're not? I mean, Dane Cook is a good example.
Now I'm not I'm not trying to pick on him whatever.
I mean, he was like the name, he was like
the guy, and then he wasn't. I mean, how does
that work? What happens during the evolution of a comedian's career.
Speaker 4 (11:34):
Okay, you know people say to me or I'll say,
this guy's going to be great, But then again, there's
some stumbling blocks that might happen, you know, their personal life.
It could be I don't know, it could be things
that they've done in their personal life that have like
resulted in what happens.
Speaker 3 (11:52):
Look Dane Cook.
Speaker 4 (11:53):
He was the darling. That kid was unbelievable. He would
sell out a Caroline's Night night of a Super Bowl.
He would be selling out to young people. We produced
him in the New York Comedy Festival in two thousand
and six. He did two sold out shows at Madison
Square Garden. That's nineteen thousand people a show in one
day he did.
Speaker 3 (12:13):
And then you know.
Speaker 4 (12:13):
He was he was. He made his career through MySpace.
That's how long we go back to that.
Speaker 3 (12:18):
So it's part of that.
Speaker 4 (12:19):
But you know, then you have a person like a
Jerry Seinfeld. I mean, you know, Jerry is just had
his seventieth birthday. He's as relevant as can be from
the day he started. So you got to give him credit,
you know for starting out because I started with him, wow,
over forty years ago, you know, from so longevity the
socks and the dryer to what he's doing now about.
Speaker 2 (12:44):
So, I mean, so longevity is is I guess that's
that's his badge of honor, right, I mean, do you
have any other comedians that I don't know if you
can say that are your favorites? Your personal Caroline Hirsch favorites.
Speaker 4 (12:56):
Well, you know, let's go to Bill Burr. He was
one of one of one of the kids that started
out there, the Dave Chappelle. He was one of the kids,
must have been he said he was nineteen. I think
he was seventeen. I think he lied, you know, about
when he started. So we watched everybody grow through there,
so you know, look at Jed Apatow. Jed Apatow was
(13:19):
a kid that snuck into Caroline's on Eighth Avenue and
was doing interviews. He said he was a reporter and
he was doing interviews and you know, I when his
book came out he talked about Pee Herman. Now I
knew he really was there because he talked about the showroom,
the dressing room being in the basement, and it was
(13:41):
and that's where Paul was in the basement in it.
Speaker 3 (13:44):
So it was like coming back and I'm working with
him now. So look at that.
Speaker 4 (13:48):
Wow, that's forty two years full circle there, Gabriel and
gill Iglesias. He's been, you know, around in our world forever.
Speaker 3 (13:59):
JB. Smooth. JB.
Speaker 4 (14:00):
Smooth was a writer on Saturday Night Live, and he
used to do a Caroline's Late show on Saturday Fridays,
and Saturday nights, not Saturday and not Friday, is Saturday nights.
We did a late show with him when he wasn't writing,
so you know, everybody, it's comfortable circled with so many people.
Look at Bill Maher, the star of today. I mean,
(14:22):
he's like a voice of reason in political humor today,
isn't he? So? Working again with him and he started
on eighth Avenue. Wow, So there's a lot of longevity.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
Here, so much history there, right, Gandhi of something else
you wanted to talk about?
Speaker 6 (14:37):
Oh my gosh, I have so many questions. So if
you are a young comedian, a new comedian, what do
you guys suggest is the best route to take to
get to the stage of longevity.
Speaker 4 (14:47):
Well, I think you have to write, and you really
have to have an original voice, or don't go into
the business if you don't have an original voice or
work on you know, making it happen, and that evolves.
That doesn't always happen right away. So I've watched people
be on the stage. They could be mediocre, medioca until
they find that they have that be Jesus moment when
(15:07):
it all clicks, and that just takes time to being
on stage and doing it.
Speaker 6 (15:12):
So to your point about the original voice, you guys
had to have seen comedians come through who maybe stole
material from other comedians.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
How does that work?
Speaker 6 (15:20):
Do you say anything about it? You just keep it
to yourself?
Speaker 4 (15:22):
Yeah, I think you know, stealing from comedians, maybe it happens,
But there's a train of thought that everybody kind of
has at the same time parallel.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
Okay, so alike, you think alike, and maybe that's what happens.
I don't do you think that?
Speaker 2 (15:45):
Like?
Speaker 1 (15:45):
Like, let's take Lisa Lampinelli for for an example. Because
of the culture of the world right now, she had
to kind of change her entire act. Do you think
that comedians should do that or should they stick to
what they do?
Speaker 4 (16:00):
I think you stick to what you do if you
really believe in it. Listen, Lisa was one of my
favorite comedians at the club, famous a female that went
so far. I mean, look, the thing about a joke,
a great joke is that you get to the line
and you don't cross it, but you leave people remembering
(16:21):
something in their brain about it. So to me, that's
the best Ali Wan wants to explain that about telling
it a great joke that may not be politically correct.
Just go to the line and suggest and then leave
it at that. So, I mean, you know Lisa, she's dull.
Speaker 2 (16:37):
Yeah, she was love Lisa. We're still very good friends
with her. By the way, Caroline Hirsch is here and Greg.
Greg's Harles, by the way, has been just as instrumental
with our show and bringing the comedians through as Caroline
has bringing them into the club. We're talking about, of course,
the New York Comedy Festival, which is coming up. It's
November eight through seventeenth. All the info, by the way,
(16:58):
it's pretty simple, and why Comedy Festival dot com? Is
that right? That's correct? Greg, you're so quiet back there.
I didn't expel this.
Speaker 5 (17:06):
I thought I was going to be sitting outside the studio. No,
I don't. I like watching and listening. But thank you
for having me on.
Speaker 2 (17:14):
I appreciate it. Well. I mean this is big. I mean,
this is a big New York thing. You know a
lot of people who don't live here, but they know
about the Empire State Building, they know about the Statue
of Liberty, and they'll know about Carolines. I mean, it's
a big New York thing. Give yourself a little credit. Guys.
Thanks very much.
Speaker 4 (17:30):
Ell.
Speaker 5 (17:31):
This is I wanted to just say this. One of
the great things about working at Carolines and with the
Comedy Festival, we get an opportunity to work with Danielle
again and we go way back because Danielle.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
I can't remember the year. Maybe you do.
Speaker 5 (17:44):
Danielle used to host her own show at Carolina she
did it. I remember that it was called The Girls
Show the Female Comedians, and it was such a wonderful show.
Speaker 2 (17:53):
And it's again.
Speaker 5 (17:54):
It's another full circle moment where you know, many years
ago we had the pleasure of working with her. It
was a great and so many great female comedians came
through there. And to have the opportunity to work with
her again, it's just wonderful.
Speaker 2 (18:07):
I tell you, there's no better feeling in the world
going on stage at Caroline's to host and knowing you
don't have to be funny, because I would. I would
crack my pants every time I would go up there.
Speaker 1 (18:20):
I'm like, uh so, the guy that's going to be
hosting the show for us, he yesterday asked me, He's like, hey,
can you co host it with me? I said, as
long as I don't have to be funny, Oh my god.
Speaker 2 (18:32):
Frightening, frightening. My favorite part of comedy club is that
light that flashes when it's time for you to wrap
it up, the rap light.
Speaker 1 (18:39):
They listen to that or do they really just always go.
Speaker 2 (18:42):
Over the good ones listen. It's like if you put
like a tanning lamp in there. There are some comedians
that would be pitch black at this point because it's
just they flash it for like an hour and they
stay up there. We had to cut the mic a
few times on some comedians.
Speaker 5 (19:02):
Oh really really, because there's you know, first the light
come and they'll tell you, give me the light at five,
give me the light at ten, so they can pace
the end of their set. And then some just don't
say anything and they see the light, and then the
light starts flashing and they ignore it, and then they
start acknowledging to the audience that the light is flashing,
and then it's time to cut the mic and say
(19:22):
good night. And oh it's a rare occasion, but I
was there a few times when that happened.
Speaker 2 (19:28):
Oh wow, I'm sure a lot of drama has happened,
especially backstage and in the basement and wherever. That'll be
in the book. This will be in the book. And
also Caroline in the book. A lot of people And
I used you to think this when I was when
I was a lot younger, like, how did Caroline get
started and in the comedy club business? Was she a comedian?
And you said, absolutely not. You just saw a need
(19:49):
in New York City for this and it turned into
what it turned into, right right, I.
Speaker 3 (19:54):
Mean it was David Letterman was just going on the air.
Speaker 4 (19:57):
Actually I watched him at he had a ten o'clock
show in the morning, give you can believe that, and
that didn't last long and then he went to late
night and I, you know, I love Dave and rich
Hall that was on the show and all that. So
I just said, is this something happening here with this
young comedian kind of thing, this new voice of young people.
Speaker 3 (20:16):
And that's what we did.
Speaker 4 (20:17):
And then we you know, we just it was a
cabaret and then we turned it into all comedy after
uh who was the Jay Leno came in? Richard Bells
and Jerry so Gary Shamling.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
She's doing it again. She's trying no look look on
the floor and more names I've been dropped so Gandhi.
Did you ever have a chance to go to Caroline's
on Broadway? Yes, I've been, Okay, you know, the original
one was at Seaport, right, I mean eight an eight
eighth Avenue, and then the Seaport, and there was the
(20:52):
Seaport and then on Broadway, and a lot of people
are where what happened? Where did Carolines go? Comedy is
still there? How come Carolines isn't there anymore?
Speaker 3 (21:02):
Well, we're not.
Speaker 4 (21:04):
You know, we're here. We're here, We're at the New
York Comedy Festival. We've got to answer comedy live. We're
working on other projects and who knows where.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
We have a feeling you're not honest?
Speaker 2 (21:15):
All well, having a business, having a business in any
building in New York City has to be a very
very challenging thing. But Carolines, you know, I'm looking at
your your logo right here on the street of paper.
It's still it's still one hundred percent on fire. And
that's why if you're not living here, but you can
fly in that That New York Comedy Festival date to
(21:40):
look at the dates to look at November eighth of
the seventeenth. Another reason to come to New York. Come
see some comedy. If you go to NY Comedy Festival
dot com. Get those tickets now, because they're gonna roll.
They're gonna roll fast.
Speaker 4 (21:50):
And we'll be adding other shows and announcing and setting
dates and places for you know. We're doing a lot more,
a lot more big announcements coming up.
Speaker 2 (21:59):
Well, we love you, Caroline, Greg, love you, love you all.
Speaker 3 (22:04):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (22:04):
No, we love you more. Actually sorry, we love you more.
We kind of went We win this one. We win video, Greg, Charles,
Caroline Hurst, thank you for coming in you love Thank
you very much
Live from the Mercedes Benz Interview Lounge.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
Got to tell you, you know, we've been doing this for
so long. This show has been on the air for
twenty how many years we've been on twenty eight years
with this show.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
I'm just talking about this in the green room with
Caroline and we were like, how long have you been
doing this? Oh my gosh, I ca and we were
reminiscing about all the comedians that have come through here
on what has happened and how some of them said
things they shouldn't have said.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
That happens. Well, I got to say, you know, New
York City, the quintessential big, big, big cornerstones of New
York City, Elaine's and Madison Square Garden and let's say
Carnegie Delly Studio fifty four, and of course Caroline's Comedy Club.
Caroline Hirsch is here. We've known you for so long,
and even though the comedy club is not open, you
(00:48):
will always be Your name will always be synonymous with
comedy in New York City until long we're all long gone.
Welcome to the show.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
Thank you. Wow, this is Fancy Diggs here.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Whoa you like it?
Speaker 4 (01:00):
Fancy? It's all for so it's really great. What a studio. Yeah, well,
thank you so much for that. I'm you know, right
up there with Madison Square Gardens. That's a good thing.
So yeah, we're excited. You know, we created the festival,
the New York Comedy Festival, twenty years ago.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
You believe that, twenty years and it goes like that.
Speaker 4 (01:23):
So we're really excited to be in business for twenty
years with that, and that gets bigger and bigger every year.
And then I get to work with everybody that kind
of started at Carolines, So you know, I get to
work with you know, everybody that started there that's still around.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Well, yeah, I have a list of things I want
to talk about, including you know, some of the comedians
we've lost along the way. But and of course Greg
Charles is here too, and we were just talking with Caroline.
I mean, you guys are like joined at they have
you even worked with each other for so many years?
How many years of you two worked with each other
twenty five? I think just twenty four, I think, yeah, right,
more than yes, we've all been together about the same
(02:01):
amount of tix.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
Crazy.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
But we were talking about Carolina, how Greg used to
bring in these big names in comedy back then. A
lot of them aren't with us anymore. But you know
the names that you used to bring it. Do you
even remember any of those that you and Caroline would
bring to our show? Oh? Wow, yeah, John Pennett.
Speaker 5 (02:21):
Remember John loved doing the Elvis. Your show was the
only show he liked to do. I remember every time
we would book John, I would get a call on
my cell phone and he wouldn't even say hello, He
would just be like.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
Are we doing Elvis? He was such a sweetheart. We
always had great catering when he was in. I mean,
God rest his soul. Caroline, you weren't there to day
when when when Greg brought one of the times he
brought John Pinette in, we gave him a big bowl
of I think I think it was potato salad.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
Yeah, that was the first time we ever met him.
I came in the studio and I said, I'm not
sure this is supposed to happened, but the guy who's
coming in, he's eating the whole potato salad himself with
a full.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
Johnette he brought it. It was a part of the
interview at the Potatoes. Now we internew John Bennette and
a potato salad.
Speaker 4 (03:12):
Ye.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Anyway, I do want to get into the New York
Comedy Festival over twenty years rolling, we got to talk
about that and who's going to be there this year.
Let's talk about comedy, Caroline, you know, how has comedy
changed since the day you opened your first location of Caroline's.
Speaker 4 (03:29):
Has it changed well in your opinion, Let's talk about
how many people are doing it now. You know, you
could count on your hands the amount of headliners. You know,
at the first club there were maybe thirteen fifteen headliners
that used to rotate and come back to the club.
Now we have a whole two other generations of comedians
that have come out of that. You know, from forty
(03:50):
years ago, from watching the John Stewarts on The Daily Show.
You know, there was a whole breed that came out
of that that are like in the thirties and forties
right now. So it's it's increased in size, it's as
smart as can be, it's as relevant as can be,
and it's it's it's it's part of our culture. It's
(04:10):
part of the American culture today.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
To be funny, I think we need it today more
than ever. We need to laugh more than ever.
Speaker 4 (04:18):
You know, with everything that's happening, you know in our
world today, it's it's just you know, it's it's a
stress relief. So everybody should kind of like embrace the
festival for a week. Think youre going to a spy everynight.
Go out and buy a ticket and this will be
your cool down. So to go see a lot of
(04:38):
our headliners here that are all the will be all
the big stars of the future. Trust me, you know,
I look back to how we started the festival and
started Carolines and the amount of people that have come
out of that club. I mean, I didn't realize what
we were creating at that time, and with the help
of you know, all the media to enbra what we were
(05:00):
doing at that time and putting it and putting it
as a as an art, which is what I always thought.
It was the hardest thing to ever do, much harder
than acting. It's you know, to be funny on stage.
So I'm glad we came and I'm glad we were
part of it, and I get to continue to do
this stuff.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
So I love that. I love that you're still doing
this and we'll be for ever more doing it. And
also we look to comedy as sort of the gauge
as to where we are in our lives as far
as what we get away with and talking and conversations
political this and that. And I've noticed, you know, we
we've all noticed the trend over the years of comedians
(05:38):
back in the day could get away with so many
things and no one was really offended. And now you know,
it's every everyone has has sort of had to change
and evolve. And I get that. And what is your
feeling about, you know, the story that comes out every
once in a while people go to clubs and watch
a comedian and they start heckling and start like interacting
with a comedian in a negative way because it don't
(06:00):
like their material.
Speaker 4 (06:01):
I know, it's you know, I you know, I know
there's a whole thing now with crowd work, and everybody's
doing crowd work.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
To me, it's the hackiest form of comedy.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
Yeah, you know, we really.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
We never liked we never liked it.
Speaker 4 (06:14):
Look, I know, it's entertaining for the audience and this
and that, and a lot of comedians are now getting
content because it's in the moment kind of stuff that
they can use. But we always thought it was like
pretty hacky when when that happened.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
So, I mean, I think that's rude.
Speaker 4 (06:28):
But then again, comedians should not, you know, start start
doing it with with with the audience so that they
have a field data answer them back.
Speaker 3 (06:37):
So that's how I feel about that.
Speaker 2 (06:39):
You know who really loves a lot of comedians and
comedy itself is Gandhi right over here, and we all do.
And Danielle has a she's gonna be a part of
the festival. We got to work about that in a second.
Speaker 4 (06:48):
Two.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Gandhi, when you first came to work with us, you
said we got to get more comedians through here.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (06:53):
I wanted to complian every Friday. I was like, I
know they're in the city, I know that Fridays are
a fun day, and just just have medians in here.
I thought it'd be awesome. I don't know why we don't, Nate.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
I love they bring another dimension to what's going on.
Speaker 6 (07:14):
And fun fact, you know, Elvis's birthday is coming up
and he told us not to do anything, and I
thought it'd be really funny to put together a roast.
When I tell you, I got shut down from every
avenue possible.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
It's not happening. Thought a roast.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
It's a toast.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
No, it's a roast. These people roast me every frig
and day. By the way, if you're just turning us on,
Caroline Herst's here along with that friend Greg Charles, and
Caroline's New York Comedy Festival is on the way. Let's
talk about that. Let's talk about how to get in,
Let's talk about who's going to be there, and how
Danielle is a part of it as well. So you
go first, Caroline.
Speaker 4 (07:52):
So Danielle, we're going to be doing a uhud are left?
Speaker 2 (07:58):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (07:58):
Well yeah, okay, Well we're doing something with Danielle and
we'll be announcing that, you know.
Speaker 3 (08:03):
Very the dates and everything.
Speaker 1 (08:04):
No, it's November twelve, is the case. You want to
put it down, and it's called down for Laughs, And
all the proceeds are for Down Syndrome for Hearts of Joy,
which is an amazing organization that helps Down syndrome children
with their heart operations if they can't afford it here
and in other countries, because one of the biggest things
(08:26):
with children with Down syndrome is a lot of them
have heart defects and a lot of places they don't
even know they have the heart defects, and so she
comes in and hearts of Joy and they help with that.
And so that's what we're gonna We're putting together a
show to benefit that on November twelfth.
Speaker 2 (08:40):
So we're excited.
Speaker 4 (08:40):
Okay, So, and the festival will start on November eighth
through the seventeenth, So we have over We're gonna have
close to over two hundred shows and god knows something,
three hundred comedians Christ all of them.
Speaker 3 (08:56):
I beam them in.
Speaker 4 (08:58):
Yeah, okay, you know, but but you know of interest
of some of the people that we worked in the past,
you know, Judd Apatow, Jabouki Young White, Gabriel and Glacias, JB. Smooth,
Tracy Morgan, Joe Liszt, Dan soder, Zara zag. I mean,
we have a list of people here that are the
(09:19):
most some amazing talent that I worked with before, and
other people that worked at Caroline's and now we're producing
at a larger venue.
Speaker 3 (09:26):
How cool.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
Well look at that. Wow, you know one of my
funniest stories. I'm sure you have a million. Have you writen?
First of all, back back up one step, Caroline, have
you ever thought about writing a book about about Carolines
and the history of this incredible institution.
Speaker 4 (09:40):
I have thought about it. I'd like to do that.
You think it'll sell, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
Absolutely, I mean one of my I mean, you're full
of stories. One of my favorite stories is when you
dropped little lines like this Carolyn and go, yeah, I
remember this little short comedian drive down from Philly and
he'd be like the host of some nights at Caroline's.
Maybe you've heard of him, Kevin Hart. I mean, she
(10:07):
name drops like that all the time. You're like, oh
my god, Kevin Hart. Any comedian that says Carolines, what's that,
they're not a comedian. And they would all say, if
you don't roll through Carolines, you're not you're not successful.
Speaker 3 (10:18):
We were just.
Speaker 4 (10:18):
Talking about Dave Chappelle doing, you know, trying out his show,
The Chappelle's Show that he did for Comedy Central. He
would come to Caroline on Monday nights and do a
mock show to see if it was working. So we
did that for a number of like a month of
him taking those kind of shows.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
So they'd be like surprises, like they just would like
you go to see one person and then then Dave
Chappelle would just pop up.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, it was Monday nights.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
Yeah, crazy part of someone's history.
Speaker 3 (10:45):
That's amazing. It's been amazing.
Speaker 4 (10:48):
It's just been amazing, you know from you know some
of my my my Richard Belzer, Richard Lewis that has passed,
John Pinnette, Gary Shanling, Gilbert Godfreed. You know, these were
my people I started with there at the club, and
it's just been Yeah, it's.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
In the roy I've lost so many, so many of
the greats.
Speaker 4 (11:09):
Right.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
What about the comedians that are so hot and then
they're not? I mean, Dane Cook is a good example.
Now I'm not I'm not trying to pick on him whatever.
I mean, he was like the name, he was like
the guy, and then he wasn't. I mean, how does
that work? What happens during the evolution of a comedian's career.
Speaker 4 (11:34):
Okay, you know people say to me or I'll say,
this guy's going to be great, But then again, there's
some stumbling blocks that might happen, you know, their personal life.
It could be I don't know, it could be things
that they've done in their personal life that have like
resulted in what happens.
Speaker 3 (11:52):
Look Dane Cook.
Speaker 4 (11:53):
He was the darling. That kid was unbelievable. He would
sell out a Caroline's Night night of a Super Bowl.
He would be selling out to young people. We produced
him in the New York Comedy Festival in two thousand
and six. He did two sold out shows at Madison
Square Garden. That's nineteen thousand people a show in one
day he did.
Speaker 3 (12:13):
And then you know.
Speaker 4 (12:13):
He was he was. He made his career through MySpace.
That's how long we go back to that.
Speaker 3 (12:18):
So it's part of that.
Speaker 4 (12:19):
But you know, then you have a person like a
Jerry Seinfeld. I mean, you know, Jerry is just had
his seventieth birthday. He's as relevant as can be from
the day he started. So you got to give him credit,
you know for starting out because I started with him, wow,
over forty years ago, you know, from so longevity the
socks and the dryer to what he's doing now about.
Speaker 2 (12:44):
So, I mean, so longevity is is I guess that's
that's his badge of honor, right, I mean, do you
have any other comedians that I don't know if you
can say that are your favorites? Your personal Caroline Hirsch favorites.
Speaker 4 (12:56):
Well, you know, let's go to Bill Burr. He was
one of one of one of the kids that started
out there, the Dave Chappelle. He was one of the kids,
must have been he said he was nineteen. I think
he was seventeen. I think he lied, you know, about
when he started. So we watched everybody grow through there,
so you know, look at Jed Apatow. Jed Apatow was
(13:19):
a kid that snuck into Caroline's on Eighth Avenue and
was doing interviews. He said he was a reporter and
he was doing interviews and you know, I when his
book came out he talked about Pee Herman. Now I
knew he really was there because he talked about the showroom,
the dressing room being in the basement, and it was
(13:41):
and that's where Paul was in the basement in it.
Speaker 3 (13:44):
So it was like coming back and I'm working with
him now. So look at that.
Speaker 4 (13:48):
Wow, that's forty two years full circle there, Gabriel and
gill Iglesias. He's been, you know, around in our world forever.
Speaker 3 (13:59):
JB. Smooth. JB.
Speaker 4 (14:00):
Smooth was a writer on Saturday Night Live, and he
used to do a Caroline's Late show on Saturday Fridays,
and Saturday nights, not Saturday and not Friday, is Saturday nights.
We did a late show with him when he wasn't writing,
so you know, everybody, it's comfortable circled with so many people.
Look at Bill Maher, the star of today. I mean,
(14:22):
he's like a voice of reason in political humor today,
isn't he? So? Working again with him and he started
on eighth Avenue. Wow, So there's a lot of longevity.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
Here, so much history there, right, Gandhi of something else
you wanted to talk about?
Speaker 6 (14:37):
Oh my gosh, I have so many questions. So if
you are a young comedian, a new comedian, what do
you guys suggest is the best route to take to
get to the stage of longevity.
Speaker 4 (14:47):
Well, I think you have to write, and you really
have to have an original voice, or don't go into
the business if you don't have an original voice or
work on you know, making it happen, and that evolves.
That doesn't always happen right away. So I've watched people
be on the stage. They could be mediocre, medioca until
they find that they have that be Jesus moment when
(15:07):
it all clicks, and that just takes time to being
on stage and doing it.
Speaker 6 (15:12):
So to your point about the original voice, you guys
had to have seen comedians come through who maybe stole
material from other comedians.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
How does that work?
Speaker 6 (15:20):
Do you say anything about it? You just keep it
to yourself?
Speaker 4 (15:22):
Yeah, I think you know, stealing from comedians, maybe it happens,
But there's a train of thought that everybody kind of
has at the same time parallel.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
Okay, so alike, you think alike, and maybe that's what happens.
I don't do you think that?
Speaker 2 (15:45):
Like?
Speaker 1 (15:45):
Like, let's take Lisa Lampinelli for for an example. Because
of the culture of the world right now, she had
to kind of change her entire act. Do you think
that comedians should do that or should they stick to
what they do?
Speaker 4 (16:00):
I think you stick to what you do if you
really believe in it. Listen, Lisa was one of my
favorite comedians at the club, famous a female that went
so far. I mean, look, the thing about a joke,
a great joke is that you get to the line
and you don't cross it, but you leave people remembering
(16:21):
something in their brain about it. So to me, that's
the best Ali Wan wants to explain that about telling
it a great joke that may not be politically correct.
Just go to the line and suggest and then leave
it at that. So, I mean, you know Lisa, she's dull.
Speaker 2 (16:37):
Yeah, she was love Lisa. We're still very good friends
with her. By the way, Caroline Hirsch is here and Greg.
Greg's Harles, by the way, has been just as instrumental
with our show and bringing the comedians through as Caroline
has bringing them into the club. We're talking about, of course,
the New York Comedy Festival, which is coming up. It's
November eight through seventeenth. All the info, by the way,
(16:58):
it's pretty simple, and why Comedy Festival dot com? Is
that right? That's correct? Greg, you're so quiet back there.
I didn't expel this.
Speaker 5 (17:06):
I thought I was going to be sitting outside the studio. No,
I don't. I like watching and listening. But thank you
for having me on.
Speaker 2 (17:14):
I appreciate it. Well. I mean this is big. I mean,
this is a big New York thing. You know a
lot of people who don't live here, but they know
about the Empire State Building, they know about the Statue
of Liberty, and they'll know about Carolines. I mean, it's
a big New York thing. Give yourself a little credit. Guys.
Thanks very much.
Speaker 4 (17:30):
Ell.
Speaker 5 (17:31):
This is I wanted to just say this. One of
the great things about working at Carolines and with the
Comedy Festival, we get an opportunity to work with Danielle
again and we go way back because Danielle.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
I can't remember the year. Maybe you do.
Speaker 5 (17:44):
Danielle used to host her own show at Carolina she
did it. I remember that it was called The Girls
Show the Female Comedians, and it was such a wonderful show.
Speaker 2 (17:53):
And it's again.
Speaker 5 (17:54):
It's another full circle moment where you know, many years
ago we had the pleasure of working with her. It
was a great and so many great female comedians came
through there. And to have the opportunity to work with
her again, it's just wonderful.
Speaker 2 (18:07):
I tell you, there's no better feeling in the world
going on stage at Caroline's to host and knowing you
don't have to be funny, because I would. I would
crack my pants every time I would go up there.
Speaker 1 (18:20):
I'm like, uh so, the guy that's going to be
hosting the show for us, he yesterday asked me, He's like, hey,
can you co host it with me? I said, as
long as I don't have to be funny, Oh my god.
Speaker 2 (18:32):
Frightening, frightening. My favorite part of comedy club is that
light that flashes when it's time for you to wrap
it up, the rap light.
Speaker 1 (18:39):
They listen to that or do they really just always go.
Speaker 2 (18:42):
Over the good ones listen. It's like if you put
like a tanning lamp in there. There are some comedians
that would be pitch black at this point because it's
just they flash it for like an hour and they
stay up there. We had to cut the mic a
few times on some comedians.
Speaker 5 (19:02):
Oh really really, because there's you know, first the light
come and they'll tell you, give me the light at five,
give me the light at ten, so they can pace
the end of their set. And then some just don't
say anything and they see the light, and then the
light starts flashing and they ignore it, and then they
start acknowledging to the audience that the light is flashing,
and then it's time to cut the mic and say
(19:22):
good night. And oh it's a rare occasion, but I
was there a few times when that happened.
Speaker 2 (19:28):
Oh wow, I'm sure a lot of drama has happened,
especially backstage and in the basement and wherever. That'll be
in the book. This will be in the book. And
also Caroline in the book. A lot of people And
I used you to think this when I was when
I was a lot younger, like, how did Caroline get
started and in the comedy club business? Was she a comedian?
And you said, absolutely not. You just saw a need
(19:49):
in New York City for this and it turned into
what it turned into, right right, I.
Speaker 3 (19:54):
Mean it was David Letterman was just going on the air.
Speaker 4 (19:57):
Actually I watched him at he had a ten o'clock
show in the morning, give you can believe that, and
that didn't last long and then he went to late
night and I, you know, I love Dave and rich
Hall that was on the show and all that. So
I just said, is this something happening here with this
young comedian kind of thing, this new voice of young people.
Speaker 3 (20:16):
And that's what we did.
Speaker 4 (20:17):
And then we you know, we just it was a
cabaret and then we turned it into all comedy after
uh who was the Jay Leno came in? Richard Bells
and Jerry so Gary Shamling.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
She's doing it again. She's trying no look look on
the floor and more names I've been dropped so Gandhi.
Did you ever have a chance to go to Caroline's
on Broadway? Yes, I've been, Okay, you know, the original
one was at Seaport, right, I mean eight an eight
eighth Avenue, and then the Seaport, and there was the
(20:52):
Seaport and then on Broadway, and a lot of people
are where what happened? Where did Carolines go? Comedy is
still there? How come Carolines isn't there anymore?
Speaker 3 (21:02):
Well, we're not.
Speaker 4 (21:04):
You know, we're here. We're here, We're at the New
York Comedy Festival. We've got to answer comedy live. We're
working on other projects and who knows where.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
We have a feeling you're not honest?
Speaker 2 (21:15):
All well, having a business, having a business in any
building in New York City has to be a very
very challenging thing. But Carolines, you know, I'm looking at
your your logo right here on the street of paper.
It's still it's still one hundred percent on fire. And
that's why if you're not living here, but you can
fly in that That New York Comedy Festival date to
(21:40):
look at the dates to look at November eighth of
the seventeenth. Another reason to come to New York. Come
see some comedy. If you go to NY Comedy Festival
dot com. Get those tickets now, because they're gonna roll.
They're gonna roll fast.
Speaker 4 (21:50):
And we'll be adding other shows and announcing and setting
dates and places for you know. We're doing a lot more,
a lot more big announcements coming up.
Speaker 2 (21:59):
Well, we love you, Caroline, Greg, love you, love you all.
Speaker 3 (22:04):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (22:04):
No, we love you more. Actually sorry, we love you more.
We kind of went We win this one. We win video, Greg, Charles,
Caroline Hurst, thank you for coming in you love Thank
you very much
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