EITM interviews Aaron Weber

EITM interviews Aaron Weber

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Aaron Webber, All right, what'sgoing on? Everybody? Hey, how
are you doing, sir? I'mgreat, man, Thank y'all for chatting
with me. Absolutely listen, andI want to the first thing I want
to get into with you, Aaron, And I don't want to come across
as being overly aggressive or or toomuch like a dick. But how is
it you're you're out? No,no, no, no no, you

(00:21):
are out doing a great run ofcities right now, an unbelievable tour.
How are you not doing DC?How are you not doing Richmond? I'm
going to Appleton, Wisconsin and notDC by choice. Okay, but okay,
okay, I'll give you Appleton.I like Appleton, I like I
felt bad saying that city, butthat's the first one I'll call. Come
on, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Boston, Dallas, Houston. You can't.

(00:46):
You can't squeeze in a DC date. I'd love to, man. I
was in Arlington, Virginia not longago, right, yeah, doing,
Yeah, that's true, that istrue. I just I want to see
our name attached with the rest ofthe run. That's all, okay,
all right, I'll get it inthere, man, might work on it
very good. All right, nowthat we got that out of the way.

(01:07):
Dude, you are killing it.And I don't want to say you're
killing it right now like you haven'tbeen working for years, but do you
feel like do you feel like you'reon a great trajectory right now? I'm
pretty happy with how things are going. Man. It's it's an exciting time
for me getting to headline comedy clubs. You know, for years I was
kind of the opening act all overthe place. I have a tour with

(01:30):
comedians, and the last year orso it's just been me. They've been
my shows. So that part ofit is is very exciting for sure.
Hey, Ed, let me askyou this. Was there was there a
part and look like there's there's amillion clips online and I mean, you
know it. You're very, veryfunny and the clips are really really good.

(01:51):
And I get that as a asa comedian, everybody has a start
and it takes time, and it'spractice and it's practice and it's practice and
it's practice. Was there was therea moment where you realized, oh crap,
things are starting to change here prettyquickly. I think about five years
in to stand up, I've beendoing it eight years. Right, So
three years ago, I kind of, for the first time in my adult

(02:15):
life, I kind of, let'stake a look at my finances, kind
of let's see what's happening. AndI saw that, you know, the
money from stand up was comparable towhat I was making with my day job,
and that was a big moment whereI thought, that's kind of now
or never, let's pull the ripchord. And I've been a full time

(02:35):
comic ever since. Now. Iwill say about three months after that,
the world shut down for a while. So at the time I felt I
felt this was maybe a huge mistaketo become a full time comic when we're
not allowed to do stand up anywhere. But things have rebounded, the country's
back, you know, it's beena lot of fun. Hey, did
you have to at any point?Did you have to tuck your tail between

(02:59):
your legs and go back to thatday job that you would just quit and
go, hey, I know threethree months ago, I was gonna go
be on Marquees, But right nowI need to come back. That's that's
the biggest fear of all times,is to go, you know, you
storm out of the business, yougo, I don't need you I got

(03:19):
a lot going on, and thena month later you're like, I actually
do need that job. But hey, look pretty grateful. That's not the
case yet. I haven't written itoff. You know. I might go
back and wait tables at some point. Who knows. I have no idea.
For now, things are rolling.I'm getting to travel and do comedy
all over the country, so it'san exciting time for sure. Hey,
Aaron, do you think if you'refamily, you're an Alabama kid, right,

(03:44):
yes, sir, and then youyour family at some point picks up
during high school and moves from Alabamato Nashville. If that, if that
move doesn't take place, do youdo you think you end up we're where
you are now? Like, iswhen when did when did you? I
know you said that you've been doingcomedy for for eight years? When did

(04:05):
when did that bug hit you?It hit me when I was in college.
There's a student group on campus wherewe do stand up shows for our
peers, and I started doing that. I thought, like, you know,
I'm not great at this, butI'm okay at it enough to keep
doing it. I moved back toNashville after college, and uh, and

(04:27):
I've been here ever since just doingstand up. My family's long gone,
by the way, I did notwant to move to Nashville, Tennessee,
and now I'm the only one stillhere, which is kind of bizarre.
But yeah, things if I werestill in Not to knock Montgomery, Alabama,
but right, if you're a manin his twenties, where would you
rather live? Do you rather livein Nashville or Montgomery, Alabama? I

(04:47):
mean, I'm pretty happy I gotbrought up here, for sure. Hey,
does does Notre Dame have a prettybig like like you said, you
were in a group of of ofother of other students who were and like
comedy is Notre Dame? Does NotreDame have a rich comedy history? Not
that I mean. Look, RegiusPhilbin, I don't know if you want

(05:09):
to call him a comedian, Ihave no idea. I don't really.
I only know Regius as the hostof Who Are Who Wants to Be a
Millionaire? That's really how I knowRegis. Everything's named after him on campus.
There's the Regius Philbin Performing Arts Center. Outside of him. There are
a few comics a handful around thecountry that are that are from there.
But I don't think any that youwould know. Okay, so no,

(05:31):
not really, not in the waythat some of these other colleges have.
So Aaron Webber safe to say,well, maybe second to Regis, but
Aaron Webber biggest comic ever from NotreDame. We'll see, we'll see.
I haven't. I haven't sat downa talent. Everyone's you know, successes
up. But I'm in the conversationthere. We got hey were you were?
You always a big comedy guy,though, Yeah, we would watch

(05:55):
State of Comedy a lot in thehouse. I had probably two or three
different hours from famous comedians memorized whenI was a kid. Brian Reagan had
a Comedy Central special that I hadmemorized. I had, I had Kevin
James's Comedy Central special memorized. Ihad we don't talk about it now,
but I had some Bill Cosby memorized. And then when the family, when

(06:18):
the family would get together, mydad would go, Aaron, do that
bit about and I kind of perform, you know, for the family.
So that was early on, andthat was probably planning a seed. I
didn't even realize it at the time. And your dad, your dad was
a principle at a Catholic at aCatholic school growing up, right, that's

(06:38):
right, Yeah, my dad wasmy high school principle, which people ask
me what it's like when your dad'syour high school principle. Imagine every day
after work, your boss gives youa ride home and then eats dinner with
you and then goes to bed withyour mom. Not all funning games.

(07:00):
The worst part I always tell peoplethe worst part was senior prank. Every
year. Senior prank was the worstbecause every year they would just vandalize,
you know, my house anyway.I also imagine aaron that for like when
when you're a kid growing up,sleepovers not popular at the Webber house because

(07:23):
nobody, none of your friends wouldwant to come to stay at your house.
Yeah, do you want to comehang out at the at the teacher's
house on the weekend? Absolutely not. Yeah. Now, I will say
my dad was was pretty good aboutseparating, but that line blurs all the
time. You know, so yougotta you can't. You're not gonna come

(07:43):
over and drink at my house?Hey, what when the principle of your
school is what was the what waswhat? What brought on the move from
like did your dad did your dadgo get in job at another high school.
Is that what got you to Nashville. He did, Yeah, my
junior year of high school. SoI moved in the middle of high school.
My dad got a job as theheadmaster, which I'm uncomfortable, I

(08:05):
hate saying that word, but that'swhat it was. He's the headmaster of
a school just outside of Nashville.So that's when the family moved. But
Nashville, like you said, sothe rest of the family is gone and
you're still You're still in Nashville.But I feel like like if I look
at like your podcast, for example, with Nate Brighetti, who's great,
he's hysterical, Dusty Slay Bates ison there, like, I feel like

(08:28):
you've got a good little nucleus ofpeople in Nashville. Where if you look
at like there's the La Comics andthere's the New York Comics and the Chicago
Comics, I feel like Nashville,you've at least got a good little pocket
of people. Yes. Yes,the great thing is that these guys are

(08:50):
sticking around in a way that theydidn't before. You know, the move
used to be. You start generatinga little heat, you start getting good
at comedy. You moved to NewYork to LA That was kind of the
trajectory for comics in Middle America.And now with the Internet and everything else,
everything's decentralized. It's not as importantto live in Los Angeles or to

(09:13):
live in New York City like itused to be. Right, So guys
can't afford to stick around in Nashville. So we've got a great nucleus of
people, even older comedians Kathleen Madigan, Henry Choe, guys like that who
have been doing it forever. They'rearound, they're in the city. That's
great for all the young comics likeme coming up. And by the way,
not to bring up not not tobring up somebody from from from from

(09:35):
the past, but I remember whenwhen Ralphie May I remember when he when
he left all of that and movedto Nashville. He was one of the
first guys I met in Nashville.I was I was maybe doing comedy two
or three months he came to alocal showcase, sat in the back and

(09:56):
gave everyone advice, gave everyone notes. I taught with him for probably half
an hour, which, as youcan imagine, for a comedian who's only
been doing it a few months.Pretty unbelievable to sit with Ralphie may And
and talk with him about comedy.But he was that kind of guy.
I always say, my favorite Ralphiething is when when he passed away,
God rest the soul. It kindof lit a fire under my rear.

(10:20):
End. I joined Planet Fitness online. I signed up for Planet Fitness,
and then I swear to God,I did not go into Planet Fit for
four years. I paid a PlanetFitness membership because you know you have to
go into a Planet Fitness to cancelyour membership. I was so late.
I paid ten dollars a month forfour years before I finally was like,

(10:46):
let's go in here, let's cancelthis. So that that was Ralphie passing
away, unfortunately, is what's parkedthat? And uh yeah, you know
what makes me laugh though, there'sa great clip that you have that I've
seen where you talk about how you'velost a lot of weight and you were
talking to and that, but youhad written a lot of comedy about being
a heavier guy. And you wentto your wife and said, God,
I hope these jokes still work,and she was like, oh, yeah,

(11:09):
you're fine. That's a very truestory. My my wife. My
wife will shoot it straight. OhI think they'll get it. Oh,
you don't need to worry about that. I mean, they can see they
are. I was getting a littleahead of myself. Hey, last couple
of things, and then I knowI have to let you jump Number one.
You do you do? Like Iknow that you've played the Rhyman in

(11:31):
Nashville, which is an unbelievable venue. But you also do you do a
decent amount of shows that that maybe unfair, but but you you you
work a lot at the Grand OldOpry, And so like I was looking
at like one of your upcoming datesat the Opry. How does how does
a night like that work? Well, they usually have one comedian every night,

(11:52):
so it's a lineup of a bunchof musicians and then usually in the
middle of the show, to breakup the music a little bit, they'll
they'll have a comedian come out anddo a short step. So I've been
lucky enough. I've done it probablytwenty times now the Grand Old Opery.
It's it's always crazy just to lookat the calendar and look at the lineup
and see who's on it. Imean, guys, I grew up listening

(12:13):
to guys my parents grew up listeningto I get to be on the same
show with them. It's it's unbelievable. Man, Hey, I saw you.
Also, you posted a picture ofyou out in Los Angeles at the
at the Comedy Store. It wasyour it was your first time there.
How was the how was how wasthe experience? Well? La is uh.

(12:35):
I have not spent a whole lotof time in Los Angeles, and
it's definitely not where I want tolive. Every time I'm there, I'm
like, golly, get me back, get me back to UH, to
Nashville or wherever else. But it'sfun as a comedian to poke your head
and every now and then and say, hey, guys, I'm out here,
I'm doing stuff. So to getto go up at the Comedy Store,

(12:56):
I mean, as far as iconiccomedy clubs go, that's that's up
there. I mean, that's probablythe one. So just to do a
to do a show there was areally really cool experience. And by the
way, when do I get aWhen do I get a great, big
special from you? I think I'mlooking at recording something early early next year,

(13:18):
after this long run of shows Igot from now till the end of
the year. I think I'm goingto try to record something, uh you
know, the spring, early springof next year, and uh, we'll
see. Man. That's that's That'sdefinitely kind of the next step for me
is to just get something down ontape that I can show people and people
look me up. They'll have somethingto see. So, you know,
it would be fun. Let's doit in DC. I'd love to do

(13:41):
it in DC. All right,you set it up, you find a
production crew, you find a venue, I need catering. I think,
yeah, yeah, yeah, ButI tell you what I do. Want
to get back up there to theDC area soon. I love Darlington,
Virginia. I've worked some clubs aroundWashington, DC proper. When I come
back, I'd love to hit youguys up and see you guys. Aaron,

(14:03):
You're very, very funny. Ilove your stuff online. The podcast
that you do with Nate is awesome. Yes, anytime you anytime you get
through town. Will definitely hook upAaron Webber. I appreciate the time.
Thank you, sir, absolutely,thank you all. Y'all have a great day.