What a strange day? Longtime friend and co-promoter "Big Jay," of Big Jay & TR Productions rolled up in his kick ass SUV around 4pm.
We get to Rev Bob Levy's and there is some dude there with him??? He turned out to be pretty cool, but the story was that the guy won a contest on Levy's podcast that very day and the prize was to go with us to the roast! I kinda thought that was a little odd for Bob to give a total stranger his home adress, but that's just the way he is. He's very fan friendly.
I had a net worth of a whopping 50 bucks (worst financial era in my life), and knew alcohol would enhance my evening, so I asked Bob where a beer joint was for a white trash six pack for the ride move. It never happenned as we were running too late, but created a lot of fun shit talking on the way. In the most fucked up part, Bob has not drank in quite a while and is on kolonopin (I am too, but still drink when I want a personality) and trying to improve his life.
We get to New York, and I told Jay to put Comix in his GPS, and I assumed a veteran of the NY scene would know the club is spelled with an X at the end, as opposed to Comics. Well, we end up on 23rd street, in a parking garage where nobody spoke english! We go upstairs and find comics, a fucking comic book store and it's near showtime!
Jay, after Levy & I break balls a bit storms to the lot looking pretty angry, and the dude is still 6'5" and 300 something pounds to "get his fucking car." He was in full Kraiza mode as these three hispanic dudes would not give up the car without 30 bucks, when we were only there for 5 minutes! He was about to punch through the glass at the guy, and Levy says, "whenever you are in a hurry, you can never find a good spic around?" It was really starting to get ugly, and Rev threw 30 bucks at another dude and screams get the fucking car now asshole.
We head toward the destination of 14th & 9th, and got there like 8:00 pm. Missed the drink specials, so my white trash six pack that I never got came back to haunt me. The cheapest beer in NYC is seven bucks! It takes me at least ten to feel a buzz (pathetic I know, but just being honest), so Jay says it's on him. Never say that to me when I make up my mind to drink.
Levy hops right into a chair with who I believe were The Cringe Humor Guys, after VH-!'s Eddie Trunk got done is segment.
I see budy Geno Bisconte, and He, Jay, and I rap about pro football for a bit. The other dude Bob (the fan guy was there too, but didn't know Geno) was silent. Levy & Geno go to smoke and I briefly saw a facebook friend that I've heard is a great comic & has a wrestling backround Ryan Maher. We shook hands, and I had in my mind to bullshit with him later, but as the night unfolded it never transpired.
It was a 38 dollar donation, but Giraldo gave me more than 38 dollars worth of laughs over the years, so it is what it is. I would think his family got a nice chunk, as it was almost capacity.
We crammed our asses in a table as Jay & I looked like bald sardines. Waitress was avoiding us like the plague, as I guess we looked like two fat fucks who also drink a lot.
Show started late, but The Dais was announced. There were no black comics, as Sherrod Small, Keith Robinson, and the rumored Patrice O'Neal did not come? This opened up tons of black jokes (I know my non comic friends are sensitive to slurs, but in comedy it's common), but the crew up there would have done them anyway as they've all been friends for years.
I was wondering if two things would get touched? One was Artie Lange, and the other was Greg Giraldo. Answer was many comics " went there " and even did a Bob Schimmel joke! In the real world it's callous, low class, and shunned, but if there is an afterlife (or in Lange's case, if he were there) they would laugh as they know it's a goof. It's hard to explain, but damn near anything, if anything at all is off limits.
I actually can't rank or critique guys that are all better and more succesful than I, as I only had two joke go over well when I roasted Ed Mcgonigal & John Kensil a few months back, but there were certainly some better than others on this night.
Rich Voss was Roastmaster and busted the balls of nearly everyone. He said, " Geno Bisconte's calender has more holes in it, than Artie Lange's Torso! " Great set.
Then they focused on an empty chair on the dais which was designed to imply that Giraldo was there in spirit. Nice touch, followed by a video of Greg at Comix doing a set, and some of his best Roast lines from Comedy Central. Voss said it was incredible and it got the biggest ovation of the night. It really sucks that he's dead if you think about it, and only 44!
His roast writing partner Jesse Joyce (who I had never heard of at that point) opened and said something to the effect of, when he heard he was gonna share the dais with that crew he felt like taking as many pills as possible and killing himself. He was alluding to Giraldo's allegged suicide. So, if his writing partner went there, I guess he knew Greg would appreciate it. His set seemed to suprise people, as he killed, and it appeared not many of the guys had previously worked with him.
Don Jameson (rocking some odd sideburns) was next. As I said, I have no room to critique, but his first few jokes were pretty weak from a guy of his talent. I took a piss at this point, but the audio played throughout Comix. He did finish stronger than he strarted. My guess is, he's a fixture on VH-1 and his true passion is Heavy Metal so he didn't prepare as much as back when he would roast people on Howard Stern.
Eddie Trunk followed, and is not a comic, but is probably in the highest tax bracket there? He was not real funny, but again he's not a comic
Then came Jim Norton. This fucking guy killed with his twisted humor. He even got a dated Terry Schiavo joke to work which is impossible for most in 2010. He got the biggest applause of anyone, and was very, very good. The only thing negative, was he started a theme of making it a Levy roast, and Levy had confided some personal shit to he and Colin Quinn the night before, and I (for once in the know) wouldn't have went there, but Norton is a genius, and is on Leno so who am I to say. He destroyed.
Bonnie (I married Rich Voss) McFarlane followed and did some great busts on her husband, but defended it by telling the crowd to look what she had to pick from. She called Norton so ugly that she's gonna sew her vagina shut. Funny chick.
Florentine's Fat Entertainment Lawyer Tom Catoral (I think?) was next. Again, not a comic so he was not very funny. He basically told old Florentine stories which were funny to those two, but a bore to the crowd.
Reverend Bob Levy was next. He did not show it, but his anger was in full swing by this point. Whoever set the lineup told him he was on second, and he had to nix jokes that were already used, plus he's going thru some serious shit in his life, but being the true pro, he did what you'd expect from Bob and had a great set. He was unhappy with it, but realistically, Norton was the only comic that got a bigger ovation when announced...I wish I was at liberty to tell specifics as to what is eating at Bob, but it's not my place. He has a legit reason to be angry, but that's all I can say.
Otto & George (ventriloquist act) were next. All night, it seemed they were either late or disappearing, as the dais would make jokes, but they weren't around? I pissed again, but I don't think they (calling a wooden dummy they?) had a great set.
Dino, who is the owner of The Uncle Vinny's comedy franchise was next. I can kryptically say he was no Jim Norton, but an Italian Club Owner, who had enough pull to get stage time among those heavy hitter's is probably powerful enough to have me in a carpet in Hoboken, so I'll just say. "well done."
Next was Eric Mcmahon, who I'd never seen. He was funny, but time constraints were now eveident. He again nailed Levy, and as I said nothing is off limits at a roast, but it made my table uncomfortable. Good set though.
My buddy Geno Bisconte who also went from 7th to 14th in the original order in this trainwreck that was only saved by the massive amount of talent involved, did a great set considering his positioning. Levy and I joked on the way up, that he'll get an Anne Frank mention in, and damn if he didn't!!! Sorry Geno, but that one referrence is predictable. Don't verbally kill me now, cause I know you can.
Then Joe Matarese had the last spot before Florentine. Considering his positioning, and the fact that I'm not that familiar with his work, I thought he hit a Grand Slam! Very Funny set going 15th, when crowd should have been burnt out. I'd like to book this guy someday.
Jim Florentine closed, and was tremendous busting on everybody. I used Jim as a headliner in Delco, and he brought a kid named Chuck Mig and I thought Chuck was actually stronger than Jim on that night, but Florentine was clearly prepared, and had an awesome set to close. He's definitely earned all his success.
Recurring themes of the night, were Levy's sobriety, Trunk being fat, Jameson riding Jim's coat tails, Voss' teeth ( even though they've been fixed to normal size ), Florentine's big balls, and Norton's being creepy and ugly.
As "homer-ish" as this may sound, and as great as it was, my Philly buddy Mike Rainey had a way better set at The Mcgonigal/Kensil roast than anyone at Comix!!! He should be considered for these events in the future. in this forum he's as creative & vicious as anyone who's ever did it. That includes Giraldo, Jeff Ross, Lampanelli and the crew from this occasion.
I had a good buzz, via Big Jay's mac card, but I was rolling with The Good Reverend who was in the first bad mood, I'd ever seen, so no shot at an after party and networking or shooting the shit with some of my comic heroes. I give credit to Rich Voss for calling Bob as we were on the way home, as word got back that Bob wasn't real happy. And not for nothing, Rev has helped most of those guys when they first started, and now while he's a bit blackballed, he should be supported. i hope I don't get heat for saying too much.
Overall, it was not the event that would shape my future in comedy promoting or performing as I'd hoped, but was for a great cause, and I wouldn't change a thing.
TR
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