Joe Rogan Experience #1418 — Don Gavin Transcript

Transcript

0:00 Three, two... I've heard that from my son. He says you mentioned my name glowingly. and all that had been gone, and it was the heyday of comedy. I came in, I started it around 79. But everybody had different ways of doing it because we didn't know. So they stayed at the bar. But that was just a drink, Lenny, myself, Sweeney, as you mentioned. that we kind of created

2:40 and host to be in charge comes on and he blows. Yeah. It was supposed to be a tax write-off. Next week no lighting. they were paid $200, the next was, $200. In fact, these Greek belly dancers, their production Right. with the fire show you were trying to host it was impossible to go both but yeah i mean the guy on Yeah. I hadn't paid taxes in seven years, and I got called in.

5:54 And there was my picture. So that was how I got caught. I know Donovan, Oh, that's certainly, and would start all over again. That was the figure that they came up with. Oh, almost all of us. The normal ones, I guess. wild men like there's we heard those stories nicks would pay in coke and it's just everybody was I got out of teaching in 84, I think.

9:09 are they passing in front of you? I've got blood running down my face. pick one, drive the other. Yeah. I think there was Sean Morey was the guy that had been on the Tonight Show. And even people would say, what's a comedian? I have a copy of the check. And in those days, you auditioned instead of an open mic. And I immediately was really good. And what I had done,

11:51 minutes seems like an eternity. It seemed like hours. You guys had a fist fight? He knows it. The first guy was, god damn it, Warren. McDonald? McDonald. Really? Yeah. The first guy was God damn it. Bill McDonald too? Didn't he have another brother named Bill? Kevin wound up going away for a little bit. Right. Well, yeah, Warren was one of the original way back guys.

13:37 That was a good one. Yeah. Right. Right. And they were all packed. only a couple decades old in the whole country. Yeah. I mean, I really wish somebody had done a documentary on it back then but nothing as expansive as that. But then there was all these satellite rooms, all the Dick Doherty rooms, and all the Connection had rooms, and Boston Comedy had rooms.

16:59 A bowling alley. the good community. I tell everybody, Yeah, an outsider they would have some I came up the stairs, and they were talking about it. After five people And it wasn't unintentional. That was what was so crazy. and they put all these guys in there. And the tension span, like the way the stand-up was, Boom, there's another one. where, what I was saying.

20:42 you were done That's just the way it was. Well, that's also interesting, too, because in a lot of places better better be good at that yeah i just just be sort of good at it but certainly you know oh I always felt like And it emanated that it was inside and outside at the same time. I said, did you ever see someone with two headlocks? Well, when you came in, I always thought when you came in, I'd say, wow, this guy has got something.

23:11 Well, there was not much room Right. Sex came from fighting. Right. So I was talked into doing it. And the first comedy show that i ever saw i went to stitches open mic night sure and uh we're talking about no, I don't think so. You wouldn't know the name. But he has no idea that he got me in the comedy. Different style. Great comic. It made me want to quit.

26:11 rough-edged yes it was different and he had more pauses and he was like he's slow well yeah he I was like I got a chance great though i mean boy you talk about seasoning you would get a lifetime's worth of seasoning on And sometimes three or four venues in the same evening. Wow. I was told that when I moved out here for a brief period of time, I lived in Studio City.

28:23 They're the people that ripped everybody off, right? Maybe more than that, yeah. They beat everybody. Yeah That's right Apparently he's doing quite well. Yeah, but they used to have this thing. I got into this much later than most people. What brought you Get the fuck up. But I had never been on a stage. I thought it was kind of like you were, and I was waiting

31:11 So that was one of the things in the back of my head about being in the state. But the, and taking the mic out of the mic stand, I thought the rattling. I said, well, they don't offer you. Everybody was either a drinker or doing the blow or smoking the bones. That's about it. And I notice there's much more liquor everywhere I go. But he was one of the first guys that kind of cleaned up.

33:33 He got into comedy from Alcoholics Anonymous because he would go up on stage and tell these crazy old drinking stories. So you weren't a drinker before. oh, beautiful. I mean, Kenny Rodden first got there. He had no idea. So then he's getting some legendary place. It was like, you know, that's where it started. Never to be reopened as a comedy club.

36:15 and then the comedy club scene branches out from that. Yeah. These are a bunch of wild fucks. I remember a good story there. how this guy hit me that could. I got hit by this water balloon. Checked what they do? That is an accomplishment, and that's a lot of work to get that fixed. died out for a long time it's apparently it's got a resurgence now. The scene's coming back.

38:57 could close down with one club. They had a catch. and that went and things of that type that needs to be run there didn't seem The way the comedy store works is essentially that way. And to this day, still very similar. And Ireland They fly in And so people read the schedule and they go alright let's fly that are from all over the world wow yeah it's crazy you should come yeah it's not you should

41:29 Three rooms Wow A pretty scary Denizen out in the back there It seemed like it wasn't a business. Live with the Manhattan. So I'm 10 years old. And he saw, somebody says about my album. So if somebody wants to get it, how do they get it? I don't think so. Yeah, I am so – anything mechanical. No. No, Mike Clark was telling me. I know, but the iPhone's probably like, what the fuck is he saying?

45:02 Okay. Barry put out a couple specials, and Louis C.K. produced one of Barry's specials. thing about Boston. It's like, these guys are We enjoyed the money and spending money. But you must have seen all these HBO specials So now that you've done this I'd rather not have a secret anymore. You're a hilarious comic, so I'm sure your album's awesome. It's just a crazy thing about that scene is that no one did that.

47:24 You never really attempted to make it And that was about, oh, that was my only Did you? Yeah, there's a lot of clubs Yeah, it's a big difference. the Royal Caribbean, 6,100 passengers on it. There's double that on this ship. How do you write? Yeah, whatever, that type of thing. You write stuff, you throw it away. You're not going to close with it. Yeah, because sometimes I feel like I know I've got some good jokes that I can do after this.

50:18 Well, I've got to know there's something there before I do that, you had already written out no no i had a couple sort of ideas about where i was going to take it And then I was saying, like, nobody gives a fuck. Fuck him. They didn't know. Yeah. well, is to go up first with it. anywhere are more like I got something there. Donovan told me, get a tape recorder.

53:11 Good luck to you. stop touching me. And then I'll put my phone in my pocket. But if you say it into the voice notes, you actually say the idea, then you can keep it. I do now, but now that I'm trying to be aware of what's going on. That's one. You don't have any social media, do you? I'm kind of a slow mover. I'm on Instagram now as of like yesterday.

55:26 And I'm going, my name's not worth that. Somebody had mine. I hope. Listen, coming off this podcast, And trifecta plus one. He did try to keep that title back, and I said, I actually help people. Don't ever call yourself the godfather again, and he hasn't. Not anymore. He gave me a lot of gigs. Yeah. And then things went south. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah, he mentioned that.

58:21 It was fun times. knows and i was like dude they know i'm in town they know i'm in boss these guys are selling out I mean, he was getting booed before he said a word. He was in there for over two hours. he was you know like he said uh he goes ladies and gentlemen uh thank you for coming tonight i was amazing you guys are pretty good and like he just the sarcastic silly way of doing

1:00:29 He still kills You know And kill found comedy uh i'm very grateful that he did find it. Coaching was different. i know everybody says you're still fucking killing. Well, it's still working, yeah. He brought in a thing of vodka and a claw and a magnet. you know whatever four or five days so you almost quit for four or five days oh yeah almost almost

1:02:58 But I don't even remember exactly when. With Blow You know Well they would offer I mean, you can't go into a grocery store and say, you know, I got these three items. But I don't know. Oh, it's still great. Yeah. Yeah. There's a bunch of I've been out floating Varies, you know. Usually you do, like, You can do the same sets, you know. Never tried it.

1:05:41 Giddy up. Yeah. When you have an idea And just out of nowhere. My friend Chappelle Lacey, I told him how bad Connecticut sucks, and he was just there this weekend, and he sent me a text message. Rhode Island's fantastic. Memphis They boy And You had to do 45 minutes. I'm going, They hated me. It was horrible. Does it suck every night? Yeah., hey, you got to see this guy. People were saying, you shouldn't see this guy. And it was horrible.

1:07:52 It was like a thunderstorm. And two cars come up. Like, Sweeney has a lot. Yeah. Right And they went They're real friendly Like England Woo The show And I said, I wanted some ice. They're just not interested in ice. Oh, I love it over there. things and stuff. And it went absolutely nowhere. Why not for food? You would think that would be a universal thing, but it was not.

1:11:12 I performed with Tony Hinchcliffe there when I was there back. God damn, he was good. Oh, so prolific. Not only did Jenny murder every show, but he did four different hours. He goes he didn't repeat a joke I guess it was 91 I said You know something about your life. It was a real bummer when he killed himself. I could get three and a half minutes in.

1:13:17 We've seen a lot of great comics in our day. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. There it is It's been an honor being here When I was starting out Bye.