07-25-24 Interview - Comedian Leslie Liao in Studio

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Oh, a woman whose name noone could forget. Her name is Leslie
Lel and she is going to bea comedy works this weekend. And Leslie,
first of all, welcome to theshow. Thank you so much for
remembering my name. Yes, weget a conversation about this. My audience
knows. It's kind of my stick, like I annihilate people's names all the

(00:21):
time. I was. I wasbeing completely serious when I said that,
even if it's written on a paperin front of you, directly in front
of me, it's like my brainis like you see the words, but
you were gonna have you call themthe wrong name anyway. It's just it's
what I do. It's it's mything. Yeah, yeah, I mean,
so everybody's going to have a nicheand that's mine. What is your
niche, Leslie? I guess comedy. I'm so good at promoting myself,

(00:46):
like I barely believe in myself.I do stand up. Yeah, I'm
trying and it goes over well sometimesat other times not. My stick is
a comedy. Worrying, yeah,spending a lot of time on my phone
when I shouldn't, and uh,being always a little bit hungry. You

(01:07):
know what you and I have alot of that in common. But one
of the things we have in commonthat I want to bring up to you
is you also have a deep voice. I do. And how many times
do you get called sir? Ata drive through? I've been called I
mean, I have a joke aboutthis. I've been called surt of my
face like it's not even an audiothing, like it's this is like I
have a joke about how I likeone time I had no makeup on and

(01:30):
I was at the airport and Ijust got off like an international flight and
I was I was giving mail energyI get certively walking, but the person
called me sir with like so muchconfidence, like one moment sir, I
was like okay, and then Ikind of was. I kind of just
like accepted it. But its backjust to get the boobs out just a
little bit, like I kind ofrelish the moment, like let me just

(01:52):
take advantage of being respected as aman. And you know, I don't
know, but the third thing ithappened, It happens here and there.
But I mean, I I'm gladI have this voice now, I too,
have had a voice like this fora long time and everybody's like,
oh, it's from smoking and drinking. I'm like, well more for me
for cheerleading. Cheerleadings really because Ineeded to be the loudest because I was

(02:15):
the tallest, so I needed tobe the loudest and this is the result.
So I have a lot of sympathyfor you on that. Did you
have any tricks as a cheerleader tolike protect your voice? If I had,
I probably wouldn't sound like this now. So maybe it's a maybe my
ignorance worked out for the best.I don't know, it's all good.
You have a very It's it's almostlike and this is gonna sound I hope

(02:36):
this is insulting. But you gota little bit of a kind of a
Jewish comedian kind of you know,worrying feel about you only age, so
you know kind of kind of Ijust feel like I could see you in
the Cat Skills a little bit,but as the first Asian Cat Skills comic
because of the kind of observational comedyyou do. I take that as a

(02:57):
huge compliment. Excellent, Like youare calling me a Jewish commed like that
is like the top of the top. Yeah, I'm constantly I always think
the worst. It's one of myfun little quirks. I always assume something
bad will happen at any moment,and it is a bad quirk, but
it kind of protects you. Andlike, uh, I mean, anytime
I travel, I'm like constantly stressedbecause I I did flight am I allowed

(03:19):
to say Delta? Yes you canbe plug airlines, Yes you can't do
I did flight Delta yesterday and Imade it. But there's a lot of
drama with that. Yes, they'rehaving a rough week, and I just
assumed I wasn't going to make it. So in my mind before the whole
weekend, I was like, myflight's gonna get canceled. Comedy Works will
never book me again. It's goingto be my fault somehow, like I
picked the wrong flight. Whatever.But I love to worry, and it

(03:43):
does help with comedy, it reallydoes. It works. Worrying is hilarious.
It works for you very very well. Thank you. Now, when
did you decide you wanted to bea comedian, Because when you one of
the older stuff that I watched AVERRS, you were still working another job.
Yes, I had. I hada day office job up until early this
year, so I wanted. Istarted comedy seven years ago at age twenty

(04:04):
nine, which I believe is latefor a stand up just statistically, like
if you say, whoever I worshipedin comedy, like they all started when
they were like twelve. Yeah,they would like go to open mics after
junior high and I'm like, whatthe hell? So I almost didn't start
because I was twenty nine, andI thought, what's the point. But
it was really like at that timein my life, everyone what Every time

(04:27):
I would I'd be the friend whowould be assigned to tell the story.
Right if we had a crazy weekend, everyone would be like, let Leslie
tell it, So I would tellit. And then I realized I would
tell it for other people in different, different days, different situations, And
I had the story memorized, andevery time I told it, the second
time it got funnier. I memorizedthe beats and then I added flourishes,

(04:48):
and some of my friends were like, that didn't happen. You're like adding
fake things to the story, andit was I was like amateur doing stand
up with my friends, and theneveryone just told me to do it like
my friends did. So it's reallylike, what's the worst that can happen,
Like, it's just terrifying. Itold Leslie my story of my five
minutes of stand up that I didin like nineteen ninety and I came out

(05:11):
stage and went straight to the bathroomand threw up. And considering what I
do for a living now, peopleprobably wouldn't believe that. But being in
a radio studio, assuming you peopleare all laughing about the funny stuff I
say, is so much easier thanstaring at all these people looking at you
like stun bullets and they're just staringat you. That is terrifying to me.
That story is incredible. I haveyet to throw it from a set,

(05:33):
but the moment, I'm sure it'llhappen, and then you can just
think and I'll be like, ohmy Texaster, yes please, my puke.
Sister and I we've had the sameexperience. You know, when you
go when you're working on new materialto your point about telling a story and
recognizing what works and what doesn't.How long is that process for you?
This is something I've always wondered,like, when does a joke come to

(05:55):
you? And then you know,how long before you go okay? That
joke? Is where I want itor is it always evolutionary? Unfortunately,
it's very inconsistent for me and myjokes. Some jokes fall out of my
mouth on stage and it's perfect right, and I go, oh my god,
lock it, lock it, it'slocked, you know, Like I
write it down, it's laminated.Some I have been trying to fix for

(06:18):
five years. So it just andthen something just a challenge, like you
don't want to be defeated by thejoke. You're going to defeat the joke.
It's like a death match with someof these. I'm very competitive with
myself, like it's known about myself, but like I just want to prove
that I can make this into something. So it is kind of yeah,
like every premise is a death match. Like I know there's something there.

(06:40):
I just have to figure out howto graduate it to something that's worthy of
someone to buy a ticket to ashow to listen to. But some sometimes
you like rant on stage right,like you have the we love we talked
about we love to over prepare.Yeah, I love to prepare. So
I will write down literally in myset for like Denver, I'll be like
I'll t I'll type it in mycomputer. What's up Denver, like like

(07:01):
it's so waste of everyone's time,but I need to like get myself in
the zone of like, Okay,how do I want to start it?
And then some jokes are like tothe tea written. And then sometimes you
just want to let loose a littlebit on stage. And I have had
jokes that just fell out of mymouth and I'm like, I guess that's
it. Like yeah, so theprocess is there's no rhyme or reason to

(07:21):
how I've been doing it lately.So it's a combo of preparing over preparing,
right, but then let yourself bepresent at the actual show and I'll
see what happens. It feels likeright now we're kind of having a golden
era for female comedians because I knowof probably more really good, funny female

(07:44):
comedians right now than I can everremember. I mean, I'm fifty five,
so I've been around the block acouple of times. This feels like
we're having this wonderful moment, therenaissance. Yeah, I love it.
Is that what I mean? Ifyou feel it too, I just I
Yeah, I'm so rounded by hilariouscomics. Female comics in LA like they're
everywhere and I love it, andeveryone's style is so different and it's like

(08:07):
but but I mean, if Iif I look at the comments on our
videos on social media, I'm like, oh, people don't want us around,
like what I see. Yeah,but like I'm going through these shows
all the time and seeing them likeannihilate and be amazing. I am all
like, it's so dreamy. Well, it is a male dominating industry.
I mean, it happened since thebeginning of time. The fact that we

(08:31):
all know the famous female comedians fromthe sixties and seventies because there was like
four of them. There was onlyfour, so yeah, you know them.
I think it's kind of cool whenI'm seeing all these new comedians pop
up in my social media that I'venever seen before. Yeah, I just
think it's I just think it's it'sa it's a beautiful time to be alive.
It's a it is a beautiful timeto be There's even though like the
world is crumbling, you know,when we don't talk about that, it's

(08:52):
positive. Let's just be positive.I agree, it's fine burning down around
us, but we're all good.We have on our fire suits. It's
fine. Do you do political atall? No, like I don't because
I'm so not an expert at it. If you ask any of my friends,
like I am the last one tolike bring up a hot political topic
at dinner, Like I don't haveanything to add. I pay attention.

(09:13):
I have my beliefs and stuff,but it's like that's kind of where I
leave it. I have nothing funnyto add to whatever other funny comics are
talking about. It's truly like allI'm an expert on is my silly little
life. So it's like dating life, just being a tired woman every day,
just having a deep voice, likedebating if I want kids. Those

(09:35):
are the only things that I'm like, I know more about this than anyone
else, Right, I don't thinkI could say that about anything else.
I just feel like politics is sodivisive. I mean I do it every
day all the time, and youcould see see my text message line,
you would know how devisive the conversationsare. So good move on that one
good move Now? Is your familysupportive? Do you have brother, sisters,
all of that stuff? They're supportive. They're supportive now that they're like,

(09:56):
oh you make money, do it? Because before it was just like
Leslie's scary little hobby but good things. She has her day job, but
parents are so supportive. Now Ihave an older brother who was like a
hardcore fan, Like he offers tosell merch up my shows, like he's
like so into it. So I'mso lucky and like they're all funny in
their own way. Now that Ilook back at my childhood, I'm like,

(10:20):
oh, I got it from somewhere, right, it didn't come out
of nowhere. But like now theywhen my parents see me on like my
parents get my videos recommended to themon their YouTube, and I'm like,
the algorithm is good. That isreally cool. Like we think you're gonna
like her, you should check her, like this video doubt You're like,
we know her very well. Wedon't need to. That's not accurate.

(10:43):
Nourish that story. That's not atall what happened. I just want to
let you know my text message thatI got. Now we are the ones
who run to the bathroom and throwup paha, just kidding. That's the
love I get on my text line. There you go. So I definitely
feel that one. So what canpeople expect when they come to the show.
It's a lot of it's a littlesilly, and it's just like a

(11:05):
snapshot of basically what it's like tobe a straight millennial woman. I talk
a lot about how tiring it isto get ready for everything you do in
the day and have to get readyto go to bed. Like women,
all we do is get ready,you know what I mean. We're always

(11:26):
preparing and getting read and getting ready. And like I do have silly jokes
where I like, like process thatI'm a straight woman, and what that
means for me is like I lovestraight men, So I have this whole
like like I pray straight men awkwardlyin the show, and some men like
Cloud it's it's yeah, like they'relike, yeah, go off, Wait

(11:48):
is this joke over? Wait?Should we wait until see it for the
punchline. Yeah, it's it's justlike it's silly. It's reflecting on like
do I want to be a parent? Like all it's just it's i'd say,
it's like really real life, rawtopics, but I try to make
it just real silly. Well,you know, there's so much everything feels
like it has such gravity these days, everything is the most serious thing ever.

(12:11):
So it's the best time to gosee comedy and I checked your VIP
seats are sold out, but yougot some seats lat I know, fancy
fancy, you're gonna play you already? Did? Are you doing tonight at
seven thirty? Friday? You're seventhirty at nine forty five and the Saturday
seven thirty and nine forty five?Can I just say this on behalf of
gen X? Can we talk aboutno, we need to work this in.

(12:33):
Can we have like Mattinees? BecauseI'm at the point in my life
right like a nine forty five show. I can assure you that you would
look over and be like, isthat woman sleeping right now in my show?
Because I can't. I literally startevery show with a rant about how
offensive it is that all the womenare out, like we all should be
sleeping. So there's a whole fiveto ten minute rant in the front of

(12:54):
the show where I'm like, Iknow you all want to be here,
but I know deep down inside youcannot wait to go home. Well,
I'm now at the age where Iget tickets for something and then the two
days before I have the tickets,I'm like, oh God, why did
I get these tickets? Have abit I'm like, it's so tired and
now, but then I go andI have fun and I just kind of
remind myself. But the older Iget, it's harder to remind myself.

(13:16):
Like, we have tickets to seeone of my favorite bands on Saturday night
at Red Rocks. Love this band, but even now, I'm like,
oh, it's so far and it'sa Red Rocks. It's not just a
concert, it's a workout. It'sa whole day. Right, you have
to commit to the whole and thestairs and the everything, and it's just
a lot and and so I'm justI'm aging out of fun. I sympathize

(13:37):
with the audience, like I'm amillennial and I want my shows to be
at I want to say four tothirty. Let's do a late afternoon,
late afternoon, would you get lateafter digest, go home and wind down
for bed, Because I this schedule, the stand up comedy schedule, is
designed for young straight men, notfor a lady like me. But you

(13:58):
know what, you are, absolutelythe patriarch Everyone smashed smashed the Patriot.
Yes, the ninety still has ticketsfor you youngsters out there? Are you
youthful people who haven't had all thejoy and fun sucked out of you by
age. You should go to thenine forty five show. You're gonna be
at the Landmark. Oh no,Larum or Square, so you're gonna be
downtown. That's a great space,both of these. You've never played here
before, have you first time?Well, i'd said you off the air

(14:20):
and I mean it. Colorado peoplelove comedy, and I have never I've
seen comics that I didn't think weresuper and even they really well that's just
a top secret thing. Well,here's the thing. You don't know their
names, and neither do I atthis point. That's how a mediocre not
it comedy works. So there theyonly do the best of the best here

(14:41):
now every day Leslie Leslie lel ismy guest. By the way, every
day I do this thing at theend of the show, call of the
day. It's really stupid and it'strivia and it's a dad joke and it's
a trivia question. And then atJeopardy category you want to tell everybody does
I generally speaking, I set thisup twenty years ago so I could beat
people at the end of my show. That's the whole purpose of this segment

(15:01):
of the program. I wish Iwas kidding about that. I'm not,
I mean serious, but Ryan Edwardsis a regular player, so he'll be
in here because now it's time forthe most exciting segment all the radio of
It's Kine in the World of theDay. I used to do in the
World, but then I had tohave vocal cord surgery. So I'm like,
yeah, so now my best portionof her we just recorded stop Stop

(15:26):
the Madness, Stop the Madness.That's her show, my show, which
is coming up next, that wouldbe what we do? We do it
because Ryan's so good at it.He did it so good. Okay,
what's our dad joke of the day? We'll run this. Feel free to
steal this if you're looking for adad joke for your for your set there
lessons. I'm not sure if thisis going to live up to the high

(15:46):
expectations. Well, we'll see.Where do rainbows go when they've been bad?
I do not know a prism sothey have time to reflect on what
they've done. No, wait,that's a very answer. Did you say
to prism prisflect? Yeah, toreflect on what they've done. Don't feel

(16:07):
don't feel like you have to usethat show. Come, let's We'll leave
that one alone. What's our wordof the day, please? Filthy?
Oh, Fielty is a submission,like when you show fealty to someone,
you could sort of bow down tothem fielty. I don't think I've ever
heard that. I have a vastvocabulary of useless words I never used,
but they're only good for this segment. Is how close am I? Fielty

(16:29):
is an old fashioned and somewhat literaryword that refers to intense loyalty or fidelity
to a person or groups. Nice. Thank you for that. Yes.
Our trivia question today? Where inthe world can you find Pando also known
as the Trembling Giant, a hugegrove of quaking aspen trees that share a
root system and are collectively considered onesingle organism. I don't know. I

(16:52):
feel like I should. I don'teven know Utah, Utah's Fish Lake National
Where is the Roughly forty seven thousandtrees in the grove are genetically identical?
Yeah, how do you break outfrom that? How do you establish yourself
as an individual with forty seven thousandidentical genetic There's probably a Mormon joke in
there, but I don't make it. Okay, moving on. All right,

(17:17):
now, Leslie, if you wantto answer the question for Jeopardy,
First of all, it's a bloodsport. We don't wait for the end
of the question. You just anytimeyou think you could guess, you just
say your name, and then ifyou bring in first, we'll let you
answer the question. Okay, Andyou have to answer the form of a
question like Jeopardy. Okay, what'sour category? All right, I think,
Leslie, I'll do the good byethis one? Okay, listen,
he's by Hotel. Oh okay,okay, okay. Oh nowur's architential?

(17:41):
Okay, all right, here's questionnumber one, the Waldorf astory. Oh
yan? What is New York?Yes it? This next one's gonna be
really easy. The Venetian the samelovely? Who wasn't? Did Leslie get
it? Or did I get it? That's pretty much a tie. I'm
gonna give you the guests. Thenlast like what is Las Vegas? Yes?

(18:02):
Yes? All right? Question threethe ambassador side of RFAs where what
is? Where is Washington? DC? No? Is where it is?
And I lose I lose a pointbecause I got it wrong. All right.
The rest of the question is theambassador side of rfk's assassination in nineteen
Ryan, go ahead, and RyanDallas no, oh, back to zero.

(18:26):
I don't know. I don't.That's a trick question because it's a
trivia. What is Los Angeles?I got talk too soon? Did listen
anyway? Go ahead? All right? Question four the fair amount after which
James Brolin's TV hotel was modeled.I remember that show. It was really

(18:51):
good, Mandy, what is SanFrancisco? Behind zero? Pulled that one
out, all right? Finally CopleySquare Hotel, the Omni Parker House and
back Bay Hilton. Manny, what'sBoston? Yes? Yeah, no,
Leslie, and are tied? Ohdies, yes, all kinds of machinations

(19:12):
here. All right. So we'regoing to go with a question from isn't
it grand? Okay? So grandis going to be in the answer.
Okay, And we're going to gowith the four hundred dollars question Bobby Fisher
was only bryanteen it was a grandMaster? Yes? Why another question?

(19:40):
You have zero? Yes? ButI said, Leslie, we are tied.
That implies were out like I'll takehis point. Go ahead, all
right, and Bridge it's winning it. Thirteen tricks. I have no,
I like bridge is even a thing? Go to the next one. Do
you know anything about bridge? No? I don't either. Go to the

(20:03):
next question. What does he answer? Oh of course, oh Grand forgot
about Grand? All right. Thisgroup decides whether there's enough evidence to try
a person. What the grand jollyyes, I was gonna say Grand on
your birthday? Usually nobody gets nobody. No guests ever get a point.
So you are like head and shoulders. Well yeah, very nice. Get

(20:26):
to gift yourself a win on yourbirthday. Thank you very much, appreciate.
Go see Leslie Lee all this weekend. What's coming up on Kio Sports