EP 560 - With Ian Edwards

·1 hr 6 min·5 clips

Comedian Ian Edwards recalls a now-headlining comic who had cockroaches living in his car during his early open mic days.

The episode opens with Felipe Esparza and guest Ian Edwards immediately diving into nostalgic stories about other comedians from their early careers, including one who had cockroaches in his car. They discuss the stark contrast between those humble beginnings and current success. The conversation meanders through various topics, including memorable heckler encounters, with Ian sharing a particularly tense story about a man showing a gun handle during a show in the Bronx. They talk about the Edinburgh Comedy Festival and a comedian who later became the green Teletubby. Felipe and Ian swap stories about audience fights breaking out at their shows, including incidents in Toledo and LA. The discussion turns personal as Ian explains his 20-year commitment to veganism, the challenges of explaining it to his traditional Mexican mother, and his favorite vegan restaurants. They touch on the generational novelty of seeing rappers and rock stars age, contrasting it with past eras. Ian talks about his comedy special 'Untitled' available on YouTube and shares a joke about his father 'refinancing' himself out of slavery. He recounts starting stand-up in New York alongside comics like Kevin James, Dave Chappelle, and Patrice O'Neal. The episode includes mentions of Ian's TV writing work on shows like 'The Last O.G.' and 'Friends from College.' They discuss the psychological difficulty of touring and repeatedly performing new material, with Ian describing the self-doubt it can create. The conversation concludes with plans for future shows and a final promotion of Ian's upcoming dates.

As heard by us

Rizzo and Ian Edwards turn rough beginnings, aging icons, jail talk, and vegan restaurants into a loose, lived-in comic hang.

Rizzo and Ian Edwards use stories about comics who came up rough to get at a bigger question: what happens when success suddenly changes the terms of a life.

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Why you'd press play

You get a comic hang that jumps from cockroaches in a car to vegan nachos.

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