A few times a year I head up to headline the Gloversville Funny Farm (upstate NY) it's an intimate little club in the back of a restaurant and the people out there really appreciate the fact that we (the comics) make the trip all the way up there to entertain them. I am really grateful to have had in my lifetime the opportunity to meet and become friends with some of my heros in comedy. Jackie Mason, Pat Cooper and George Carlin are three of the legendary old time comics that over the years I had really gotten close with, so when George died it was really very devastating to me on so many levels. I called his house to wish my condolences to the family that week and wound up speaking with his older brother Patrick and so began my friendship with Patrick Carlin. We had been speaking on the phone every now and then since then and so when the opportunity to go visit him in Woodstock on my way up to Gloversville came around I felt I had to take it. So along with Graham Kaey and Kase Raso (the two very funny comics I took up to the Funny Farm to open for me) I payed a visit to ol' Pat.
Patrick Carlin, just like George is one of the coolest guys I have ever met, he is a writer and does a weekly radio segment of funny news that he writes from tons of newspaper clippings that he seeks out each week. His stories of him and George and of his days in LA as a limo driver had us all rollin and he and George had one of the greatest and closest "brotherships" I have ever seen. Here are some cool pics from the trip:
In this pic me and Patrick, behind us are some old pics of him and George and the newspaper of when George went to court over the famous "7 dirty words" hangs framed behind us you will notice that my chest hair forms an attached undershirt on my chest.
After completing the movie "Jersey Girl" Kevin Smith had this statue made and sent to George (It's George as the Cardinal in Dogma) it now resides with Patrick.
The sign outside the Funny Farm with my name on it "Steak and a show only $22.22" what a great deal and what an odd price (you don't see prices that end in 22 cents often)
Here is a clip of George on my radio show, he was just here a minute ago, he will always be missed and he's not looking down on anyone!
My Interview w/Chris Rock is in Punchline Magazine
Most would agree that Chris Rock is a living comedy legend. So, why does he have such a hard time believing it?
When you get a chance to sit down with one of stand-up comedy’s biggest names and most influential comics of all time, you take it– especially when you catch him outside of the roar of arena crowds. We recently chatted with Chris Rock at the Comedy Cellar in New York City, where he was working out new material.
Rock opened up about everything from how he writes jokes, his wife’s reaction to his material, to his place in the history of stand-up comedy and much more.
How has your idea of humor changed as you’ve grown—how has your writing changed? I don’t know if the writing’s changed, you know. I’m older. I’ve got a wife, I’ve got kids, bills, you know. I have grown-man concerns, so you end up with grown-man jokes for the most part.
Read The Rest at :
Rise Of The Radio Show
Been working on a new Web Series I created based on my radio show. I write most of the episodes with a guy named Liam O'Neil who's not a comic but has a solid understanding of what's funny and is a great writer. He also directs the episodes along with another very talented guy named Jason Koburov. Here is our first episode starring the hilarious JB Smoove from Curb your Enthusiasm, you will be able to see more at Http://www.RiseOfTheRadioShow.com. Hope you like it and tell all your friends, okay?
The 2009 Magners Glasgow Comedy Festival
I headlined a bunch of shows at this years Glasgow Comedy Festival. It was allot of fun and I got some sweet reviews. This one (In the Scotsman) is one I am particularlly proud of.
"LIVE IN PARIS"
I wanted to do Stand Up at LE COMEDY CLUB in Paris but it's an all French Speaking crowd so I had to find a way to get my jokes across considering that I don't speak French. Lucky for me I found Waheed, m exact replica. Only difference being He's a French Muslim and I'm a American Jew.
"Doing Press"
To prepare for the upcoming "Glasgow Comedy Festival",
I was asked to do some press for the Scottish newspapers.
This is an interview I did for "The Daily Record". Enjoy...
"Road Gig"
As a performer you are often forced to travel a lot, At my stage in the game that means a lot of one nighters
on the east coast. I thought this gig would be a good example of what it can be like t
o show you guys and gals out there. Hope you like it.
NOTE: I include a lot of driving footage upfront to try and give an authentic feel of things.
Today was a rainy miserable day and my show was cancelled because of the crappy weather so I decided to get some Coffee at the local Coffee shop. You never know what kind of interesting people you might run into at a coffee shop and lucky for me I met a guy who was very entertaining and nice enough to let me film him... Hope you like it. DL
"Inspiration"
As much as New York City might get one depressed, there is a reason that many comics I've spoken to whom have moved to LA tell me they like to come home to NY to get inspired to write. I was waiting for the Subway yesterday when I ran into this guy. I haven't yet turned this into a joke for the stage but I'm working on it and certainly one of these days when I get on a show like SNL this guy could be the basis for a hilarious character...Today was a rainy miserable day and my show was canceled because of the crappy weather so I decided to get some Coffee at the local Coffee shop. You never know what kind of interesting people you might run into at a coffee shop and lucky for me I met a guy who was very entertaining and nice enough to let me film him... Hope you like it. DL
"My Hood"
I thought in this entry I'd show you a little bit of my neighborhood and show you what I see every day. Hope you like it. The music is a favorite of mine Sean Lennon...
"Going to the Gym"
I decided to start exercising so that I don't die of fatness, I think that part of what is going to take my career to the next level is going from deadly fat to party fat (ie. John Belushi not Artie Lange) so that leads me to the gym. If you saw the illustration of me for the animated series that Wil and I are working on, then you may have noticed it's thinner than I am, it's bad when people don't even want to draw you as fat as you are because it wouldn't make for a watchable cartoon character. My goal is that by the time the cartoon is finished and we start to pitch it, I want to be in "cartoon shape". Cartoon Danny looks much better than the real Danny right now so it's gonna be a challenge. I'll post my progress as I go, here on the site, it will be like "The Biggest Loser" but without the hot chick trainer to pleasure yourself to, she's always yelling at the guys on that show "Push yourself, I don't care if it hurts! I want your whole body to feel it!" and I'm like "yea me too, I ate a donut today I've been very bad, call me the biggest loser again, oh train me!" I think I would get thrown off that show; but anyway... Enjoy the clip!!
"A One Spot Saturday"
For a comic who's been at it for a while to only have one (unpaid) spot on a Saturday night in NYC it's depressing but that's how it is sometimes and I try and make the best of it and use the stage time to work out new stuff and tighten my act up however possible. This is a short film documenting my one spot Saturday night. It's just a look at what it's like for me going out and doing a show for 10 people at CharlieO's in Times Square on a Saturday night and trying to stay positive that this stage of my career will end soon and I will be moving on to bigger things. I have confidence that I'm doing things right and my time is coming soon to hit the big leagues. Enjoy!
"Editing"
I have been filming my day to day life and will start posting them up here for anyone interested in the behind the scenes of what it takes to make it as a comic in New York City. This one is a look at what it's like for me to go edit the web series I'm working on...I hope you enjoy! best, Danny
August
I'm in South Africa on Tour all month for more info visit the link below:
I wrote a show with my friend and fellow comic Wil Sylvince, its an animated comedy show that we are gonna pitch around. I can't tell you too much more about it right now because I can't have people taking the idea from us and then doing it themselfs and killing any chance of having a decent life that I might have had, but I will post a video blog soon about what the process is like, so stay tuned.
