Courtesy of Greg Fitzsimmons. Photo credit: John Dougherty.
For over the past decade, stand-up comedian, podcaster & four-time Emmy-Award winning writer Greg Fitzsimmons has been keeping busy contributing his hosting talents to his popular podcasts (among them include FitzDog Radio, the Sunday Papers, & Childish), writing on the Judd Apatow & Pete Holmes' HBO series Crashing, and acting in Doug Stanhope's The Road Dog & the hit Netflix series Santa Clarita Diet. That hasn't stopped him from continuing to perfect his stand-up routine now 35 years into his illustrious career.
In the midst of expanding his other lines of work, Greg took his time to work out his newest comedy special and first since 2013, titled You Know Me, which premieres tonight on his YouTube channel. And fans will be happy to hear that the extra time & attention he put in to this new special was so worth the wait. In You Know Me, we find Fitzsimmons 35 years into his stand-up career hilariously reflecting on "34 years of sobriety, sex with a 57-year-old woman, convincing your children that you’re cool, and combating loneliness on the road. And he realizes, he’s happy where he is."
Ahead of the new hour, 800 Pound Gorilla News got to chat with the triple threat comic about the new hour, shooting the special at Joe Rogan's Comedy Mothership in Austin TX, his memories with Bob Newhart, writing for television & more.
I wanna start this off by asking you about the obvious gap between your debut special (Life On Stage in 2013) and now your sophomore special available today more than a decade later. Minus your 2016 set in This Is Not Happening, it’s been a minute since we’ve seen you do proper stand-up minus being out on the road. Given that you’ve been occupied with your FitzDog Radio Podcast, writing & acting in the middle of that time, can you talk about how you got to approaching this new hour & decided this was the time for a new special?
I’ve always struggled to do specials because I’m a perfectionist and I will tape something and then think I could have done it better. I was set to film before the pandemic which got pushed off and then a couple of years ago, I recorded one which, while editing, I started to not love. So, I deleted it. Finally, I did it at the perfect club, The Mothership in Austin, and am very happy with how it turned out. For now…
"You Know Me" was taped at the mecca club The Comedy Mothership in Austin, TX. You’ve now joined a small but quickly growing list of comedians who’ve released specials taped at Joe Rogan’s club alongside Brian Simpson & David Lucas. What can you share about your experience performing there compared to other clubs and theaters as far as energy of the room & city goes?
The Mothership is a classic old theatre that’s been tricked out with the best modern audio and lighting so it’s like driving in a new Mustang; you get the classic bones with the 2024 technology. The Austin crowds go out to see comedy often and know how to experience a live show. They are not squeamish, and they are mostly alcoholics or high so that always helps.
You’ve got some skillful crowd work sprinkled in through this hour I thought was very smooth & well played (one of my favorites was interacting with the “nerd” in the front row). When playing “You Know Me” ahead of the taping, how do plan your moments interacting with the crowd? I can tell it’s definitely an art you’ve mastered so superbly after doing it for so many years & years.
Thank you for the kind words. I am careful not to do too much crowd work because in the end I feel like I owe them a show I put thought into, but I can’t resist when a moment comes up and I can take a break from the material I know and just feel the adrenaline of not knowing where it will go.
What joke in your new special would you say took the longest to tighten?
The abortion jokes because you know a certain amount of people are going to resist them just because they don’t agree with me. So, they must be that much tighter to connect with everybody. I like making people laugh against their better judgement.
Unlike your first special, you approached this one directing by yourself. What was it like taking on the director & performer role at the same time?
It seemed easy until tape night when I was forced to change hats and then it felt a little distracting. I don’t think I would do it again. Next time I will have my son do it. He has no experience, and it will turn out poorly, but he needs a job.
It’s no secret to say that you’ve been an early adopter of the podcasting format since you began your days as a radio host on Howard Stern’s network and now hosting your FitzDog Radio show since 2011. With podcasting now being such a pivotal & abundant role in the stand-up comedy scene today, how has your view point as a podcaster evolved from the time you started to now being a podcaster where there’s more than enough shows to keep up with?
I started out sounding a lot more like Howard Stern. I had a radio show on his channel and did his show frequently so there was an element of being outrageous and playing with making the guest uncomfortable. Now I am more apt to get personal and I find the guests trust me and open up to me. My listeners follow my life, and it is a bit confessional sometimes.
You’ve spent a good chunk of this summer touring amphitheaters & arenas with Bert Kreischer & co. on his Fully Loaded Tour. How’s your approach playing those shows versus playing in clubs & theaters with such a rotating lineup throughout a high energy tour?
The touring part is like summer camp with the funniest people you’ve ever met. The shows are different than what I’m used to because I don’t talk to the crowd at all, and I must wait a little longer before I start the next joke because the laughter moves around the venue and is being see through a big screen behind the stage. It’s also a short set so you just do the stuff you think will kill.
We recently lost the beloved comedian, entertainer & icon Bob Newhart, who in a tribute post on the day of his passing you said of all the comedy influences in your life, he’s "at the top of that list.” Can you share some of your favorite memories of his whether that’s your favorite films, shows, specials & even interactions you’ve gotten to exchange with the legend?
I’ve collected comedy albums since I was a kid, and “Button Down Mind of Bob Newhart” has always been something I learn from every time I listen to it. He is enjoying himself and he is drawing you into his world. Its powerful to hear a subtle and gentle voice create that kind of intense reaction. My favorite comedy is when you are getting back more energy than you are putting out because it means the writing is good and the delivery is organic. Judd Apatow knew I was a fan and introduced me to him at his office a while back and it was a huge thrill. He made me laugh that day. And he wasn’t even trying.
You’ve got an impressive television writing resume having written for The Ellen Show, The Emmy Awards & Crashing. What are some shows you hope to write for that you’re working to cross off the list?
In the Writers Guild you earn a year of amazing health coverage when you make over certain amount the previous year. When you have qualified 17 times, they give you the insurance for the rest of your life for free. Right now, I have 16 out of 17 years. Let’s just say I would write for a Bill Cosby talk show or Love Island to qualify.
What else can we be on the lookout from you for the rest of 2024 you’re excited to share?
Probably me writing on the Greg Gutfeld Show.
Watch Greg Fitzsimmons' new special, "You Know Me"!
Greg Fitzsimmons’ newest special, You Know Me, premieres on his YouTube channel tonight at 6 PM CT!
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