Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
I'm so pleased to be joined in studio by Derek Stroop.
And I'm pretty sure I've seen you at least a
couple of times at comedy works, but I don't think
i've ever had you in studio with me before.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
So welcome. It's great to meet you in person.
Speaker 3 (00:12):
Yeah, man, thanks for having me. I'm excited to be here.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
So I can tell by that accent.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
Yeah, that you live in Denver, Yeah, living Greeley.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
Actually you live in Greeley in fact, Yeah, you do
make Greeley jokes from time to time. Yeah, when you're
when you're that that really jugged my memory. Yeah, yeah,
so but but seriously, okay that where's that accent from?
Speaker 3 (00:36):
And how did you get from wherever that is to Denver? Huntsville, Alabama?
Actually Harvest, It's uh, it's about ten miles outside of
huntspoal And I mean Harvest sounds like I tell people,
it sounds like a made up place. It's so on
brand for album. It's like being from white people, Utah,
you know.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
But yeah, I moved out here nine years ago.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
On the first I took the first flight I'd ever
taken in my life at thirty years old, I took
to Denver. Wow, never been on a plane before. And yeah,
I mean my mom walked with me all the way
to security. I'd never been on a plane in my life.
I have a feeling you're not joking about that. I'm
being yeah, I'm being dead serious. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I
mean i'd never we had you know, I'd kind of
(01:19):
just hit a point to where it was either time
to chase this dream or not. And yeah, I took
that American flight and flew out here and the rest
is kind of history. It's it's been insane that started
at Comedy Works New Talent Night. Deacon Gray is a
mentor of mine and was the guy that kind of
ran New Talent Night when I was there coming up,
And that's how I got my start in the comedy
(01:40):
Which location of Comedy Works is at downtown Downtown?
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Yeah yeah, wow.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
Oh, speaking of downtown, I should have said this before,
but Derek is playing Friday and Saturday night this week
that Comedy Works Downtown at Larimer Square. And take note
of the times because usually the Friday and Saturday times
are the same, but they're not this week. So Friday
is seventh, ninety five, and then Saturday is seven and
nine fifteen, so half an hour earlier, so Derek can
(02:06):
get to bed early on Saturday night. So and tickets
at Comedyworks dot com. And if you stick around through
the show, thanks to Mel's generosity, I may have a
pair of tickets to give away. So tell me what
that's like in terms of what goes through your brain
as you're gonna go stand in front of a microphone
(02:27):
at one of the major comedy clubs in America, right,
I mean Comedy Works as one of the true legendary places, absolutely,
and you're fairly well.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
You weren't a kid.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
You said you were thirty, right, thirty, But what's going
through your brain when you're about to walk up to
that microphone.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
Well, to give a little bit more backstory to help
it make sense, I started comedy in a crazy way.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
I ran a bar in Alabama, and I would put.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
Myself up on stage about once every three months because
all we had was kind true music every night. And
I thought if I heard wagon wheel one more time,
I was going to walk in front of a truck.
And so I just started doing comedy, not to chase
it as.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
A career, but just for fun and just.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
To you know, I'd seen Robin Williams, Bill Burr a
couple other guys. I go, I'm gonna do something similar,
and I'll just go up there. And so when I
moved to Denver, I'd never done real comedy, never done
an open mic, never met another comedian. So going into
comedy works, the only way I could describe it, or
I'd like to describe it, is like somebody who grew
up playing baseball in like a third world country and
(03:29):
then they come to America and they go onto a
baseball field that has bases and a mound and lights
in an audience, and they go, oh, no, this is.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
What it's supposed to look like.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
This is what it really So comedy works made comedy
make sense the first time I ever stood on stage there, I.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
Mean I get emotional talking about it.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
I mean I went home and I just stared out
my window for like four hours.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
I had the energy before or after after.
Speaker 3 (03:55):
I'd never experienced anything like. You know, I've never done
hard drugs in my life, but I have to assume
what people are experiencing on the Sixteenth Street mall is
what I felt after.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
I got done with that set.
Speaker 3 (04:08):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
I mean I was on the moon. I mean I couldn't.
Speaker 3 (04:11):
So Comedy Works immediately made goals for.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
Me, made sense for me.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
I go, okay, this is why we're doing this.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
This is why because when.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
You for me, I never some of you'll talk to
other comics ross and though they were okay with standing
in the back of a brewery or behind a dumpster
just telling jokes, YadA YadA. I like the feeling of
walking in and these people put on a polo to
see a comedy show. Now they're ordering some drinks and
it's a night out. They got a babysitter, and everybody's
locked into this room. You know, the ceilings six inches
(04:43):
above my head. It feels like, you know, at the
Downtown club. It feels like you've been backed into a
corner and the only way out is up those stairs
and nobody has their phones. Nobody has their phones. So
I immediately it all made sense. Now, how I was gonna
get there, the route, all of that. You know, as
a comedian you can't figure any of that out, but
it all my first set at Comedy Works, it all
(05:05):
made sense, you know. So I don't know if you'll
even remember this. Oh I'm guessing.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
I'm guessing you will, because this probably will feel like
yesterday to you forever. As you walked up to the microphone.
Was your mindset more you were nervous to be on
this such important stage, or that it was more like, uh,
I've got nothing to lose, I'm just gonna go for it,
or or some other thing that I well, you know, it.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
Was probably uh, I got nothing to lose more than anything.
You know, when I moved out here. Before I came
out here, I talk about it on stage. It's a
it's a fun bit that I do. But I got
two DUIs in six months. And I say six months
because it sounds better than four.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
And uh So when I.
Speaker 3 (05:48):
Came out here, I didn't have a driver's license, I
had no money, I had nothing, and so it was
it didn't feel like a comedy set.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
It felt way bigger. It.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
It felt like every set felt like everything depended on it.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
And so I think that that's.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
Why I was able to, you know, hit the ground
running because I showed up desperate.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
You know, some of these guys.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
I feel like some people show up to open MIC's
and they feel like they're desperate because they got a
drinking problem, and rent's hard to pay. But like when
you show up after losing your your car and your
house and friends, that's different.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
You know, that's a different It gives you a different edge.
Speaker 3 (06:27):
And so it's kind of a when I look back,
it's an advantage more than anything, because you know, I'd
already felt like as I'd already died once and been
reincarnated as a comedian.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
I I wanna I have so many more things I
want to talk to you about.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
Yeah, I mean because and in a way, in terms
of your relocation stories, we.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
Just did one.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
But there's another one comment I want to that I
want to.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
Talk about, and it's a big one.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
And well, you're a fascinating dude to talk to, So
would you stick around, stick me through a break? Yeah,
we can talk a little bit more, all right. This
is Derek Strop joining me in studio. He's playing Friday
at seven thirty and nine forty five Saturday at seven
and nine fifteen. And this is at the Downtown Club
Comedy Works Downtown in Larimer Square, which is actually the
last show christ and I went to was at the
(07:13):
Downtown Club because Mills said you got to come downtown
more so, and so we did Comedyworks dot com and
get your tickets. Derek's gonna stick around, keep it here
on KOA
I'm so pleased to be joined in studio by Derek Stroop.
And I'm pretty sure I've seen you at least a
couple of times at comedy works, but I don't think
i've ever had you in studio with me before.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
So welcome. It's great to meet you in person.
Speaker 3 (00:12):
Yeah, man, thanks for having me. I'm excited to be here.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
So I can tell by that accent.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
Yeah, that you live in Denver, Yeah, living Greeley.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
Actually you live in Greeley in fact, Yeah, you do
make Greeley jokes from time to time. Yeah, when you're
when you're that that really jugged my memory. Yeah, yeah,
so but but seriously, okay that where's that accent from?
Speaker 3 (00:36):
And how did you get from wherever that is to Denver? Huntsville, Alabama?
Actually Harvest, It's uh, it's about ten miles outside of
huntspoal And I mean Harvest sounds like I tell people,
it sounds like a made up place. It's so on
brand for album. It's like being from white people, Utah,
you know.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
But yeah, I moved out here nine years ago.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
On the first I took the first flight I'd ever
taken in my life at thirty years old, I took
to Denver. Wow, never been on a plane before. And yeah,
I mean my mom walked with me all the way
to security. I'd never been on a plane in my life.
I have a feeling you're not joking about that. I'm
being yeah, I'm being dead serious. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I
mean i'd never we had you know, I'd kind of
(01:19):
just hit a point to where it was either time
to chase this dream or not. And yeah, I took
that American flight and flew out here and the rest
is kind of history. It's it's been insane that started
at Comedy Works New Talent Night. Deacon Gray is a
mentor of mine and was the guy that kind of
ran New Talent Night when I was there coming up,
And that's how I got my start in the comedy
(01:40):
Which location of Comedy Works is at downtown Downtown?
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Yeah yeah, wow.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
Oh, speaking of downtown, I should have said this before,
but Derek is playing Friday and Saturday night this week
that Comedy Works Downtown at Larimer Square. And take note
of the times because usually the Friday and Saturday times
are the same, but they're not this week. So Friday
is seventh, ninety five, and then Saturday is seven and
nine fifteen, so half an hour earlier, so Derek can
(02:06):
get to bed early on Saturday night. So and tickets
at Comedyworks dot com. And if you stick around through
the show, thanks to Mel's generosity, I may have a
pair of tickets to give away. So tell me what
that's like in terms of what goes through your brain
as you're gonna go stand in front of a microphone
(02:27):
at one of the major comedy clubs in America, right,
I mean Comedy Works as one of the true legendary places, absolutely,
and you're fairly well.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
You weren't a kid.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
You said you were thirty, right, thirty, But what's going
through your brain when you're about to walk up to
that microphone.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
Well, to give a little bit more backstory to help
it make sense, I started comedy in a crazy way.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
I ran a bar in Alabama, and I would put.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
Myself up on stage about once every three months because
all we had was kind true music every night. And
I thought if I heard wagon wheel one more time,
I was going to walk in front of a truck.
And so I just started doing comedy, not to chase
it as.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
A career, but just for fun and just.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
To you know, I'd seen Robin Williams, Bill Burr a
couple other guys. I go, I'm gonna do something similar,
and I'll just go up there. And so when I
moved to Denver, I'd never done real comedy, never done
an open mic, never met another comedian. So going into
comedy works, the only way I could describe it, or
I'd like to describe it, is like somebody who grew
up playing baseball in like a third world country and
(03:29):
then they come to America and they go onto a
baseball field that has bases and a mound and lights
in an audience, and they go, oh, no, this is.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
What it's supposed to look like.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
This is what it really So comedy works made comedy
make sense the first time I ever stood on stage there, I.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
Mean I get emotional talking about it.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
I mean I went home and I just stared out
my window for like four hours.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
I had the energy before or after after.
Speaker 3 (03:55):
I'd never experienced anything like. You know, I've never done
hard drugs in my life, but I have to assume
what people are experiencing on the Sixteenth Street mall is
what I felt after.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
I got done with that set.
Speaker 3 (04:08):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
I mean I was on the moon. I mean I couldn't.
Speaker 3 (04:11):
So Comedy Works immediately made goals for.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
Me, made sense for me.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
I go, okay, this is why we're doing this.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
This is why because when.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
You for me, I never some of you'll talk to
other comics ross and though they were okay with standing
in the back of a brewery or behind a dumpster
just telling jokes, YadA YadA. I like the feeling of
walking in and these people put on a polo to
see a comedy show. Now they're ordering some drinks and
it's a night out. They got a babysitter, and everybody's
locked into this room. You know, the ceilings six inches
(04:43):
above my head. It feels like, you know, at the
Downtown club. It feels like you've been backed into a
corner and the only way out is up those stairs
and nobody has their phones. Nobody has their phones. So
I immediately it all made sense. Now, how I was gonna
get there, the route, all of that. You know, as
a comedian you can't figure any of that out, but
it all my first set at Comedy Works, it all
(05:05):
made sense, you know. So I don't know if you'll
even remember this. Oh I'm guessing.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
I'm guessing you will, because this probably will feel like
yesterday to you forever. As you walked up to the microphone.
Was your mindset more you were nervous to be on
this such important stage, or that it was more like, uh,
I've got nothing to lose, I'm just gonna go for it,
or or some other thing that I well, you know, it.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
Was probably uh, I got nothing to lose more than anything.
You know, when I moved out here. Before I came
out here, I talk about it on stage. It's a
it's a fun bit that I do. But I got
two DUIs in six months. And I say six months
because it sounds better than four.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
And uh So when I.
Speaker 3 (05:48):
Came out here, I didn't have a driver's license, I
had no money, I had nothing, and so it was
it didn't feel like a comedy set.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
It felt way bigger. It.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
It felt like every set felt like everything depended on it.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
And so I think that that's.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
Why I was able to, you know, hit the ground
running because I showed up desperate.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
You know, some of these guys.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
I feel like some people show up to open MIC's
and they feel like they're desperate because they got a
drinking problem, and rent's hard to pay. But like when
you show up after losing your your car and your
house and friends, that's different.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
You know, that's a different It gives you a different edge.
Speaker 3 (06:27):
And so it's kind of a when I look back,
it's an advantage more than anything, because you know, I'd
already felt like as I'd already died once and been
reincarnated as a comedian.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
I I wanna I have so many more things I
want to talk to you about.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
Yeah, I mean because and in a way, in terms
of your relocation stories, we.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
Just did one.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
But there's another one comment I want to that I
want to.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
Talk about, and it's a big one.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
And well, you're a fascinating dude to talk to, So
would you stick around, stick me through a break? Yeah,
we can talk a little bit more, all right. This
is Derek Strop joining me in studio. He's playing Friday
at seven thirty and nine forty five Saturday at seven
and nine fifteen. And this is at the Downtown Club
Comedy Works Downtown in Larimer Square, which is actually the
last show christ and I went to was at the
(07:13):
Downtown Club because Mills said you got to come downtown
more so, and so we did Comedyworks dot com and
get your tickets. Derek's gonna stick around, keep it here
on KOA
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