Author: Abdul Basit Hashmi

By Adul Basit Hashmi Standupworld staff writer

The distinct impression someone gets from Eddie Pepitone during his stand-up comedy is easily described as a half-crazed yelling and half angry old guy from Brooklyn. Having a specialty in quick, punchy sets, Eddie Pepitone is one you must see to believe. His current podcast and the multitude of online videos available give you a sense of Eddie’s stand-up comedy.

Having grown up in Brooklyn, New York, and being raised by a Sicilian working-class father and a Jewish mother, Eddie walks the line between crass and high-brow comedy. There is no topic too far gone for him. One minute you’re talking about his dad and him waving to boats when he’s on the shoreline; the next, it’s about porn and hookers. There is seemingly no rhyme or reason as to the flow of Eddie’s stand-up comedy shows, and yet he always manages to come full circle by the end of the show.

Swinging moment to moment from flat out shouting his stance to quickly quieting down and changing his tone, the swing is so swift and well timed that you don’t even see it coming. It’s almost like watching two different comics perform. One moment he seems like he’s a 50-something who’s taken Ecstasy before coming onstage the next, he’s ranting about his father, who worked the docks in Brooklyn. To be able to weave together a troubled and unsteady childhood and weave it into a hilarious bit about being shamed by his wife for being a terrible husband, and that’s how he likes it, is not at all easy. Eddie makes it look easy.

Watching Eddie perform is tantamount to witnessing someone come in and out of Alzheimer’s. From the dips and turns from one subject to the next before eventually coming full circle to the original issue, Eddie catches you if you’re not listening. He comes out with things so quickly that you can watch and listen to his performances multiple times and continue to catch missed jokes.

It’s taken years, but Eddie has finally found his footing within the stand-up comedy world. Starting with an appearance in Last Comic Standing in 2003, he has rocketed into every direction imaginable to do with performing and making people laugh. From TV specials, TV shows, and voiced animation to movies, Eddie has been a part of it all, along with the 2012 debut of “Bitter Buddha”. The movie follows Eddie, and while some of the biggest names in comedy appear in the documentary, we’re all left wondering why it’s taken so long for someone as funny as Eddie not to have risen to stardom himself.

 

The release of his brilliant 2020 special “For the masses” had been heralded by New York Times to be the funniest special of that year.

 

Eddie has seemingly done it all and has yet to get a lot of recognition. He’s worked tirelessly since 2003, working on himself, his routine, and his style. Having once been hired as the “angry audience member” on Conan O’Brien, Eddie has been seen a lot in secondary roles. The time has finally come for him to make it big. He’s already been in movies alongside Will Farrell (Old School, 2003) and worked as both himself and character actors.

 

Eddie’s website is www.eddiepepitone.com, where you can buy tickets to his upcoming shows. He also hosts his own weekly podcast, “Apocalypse Soon,” where he speaks with other comedians about all things end of days. You can either listen to the podcast itself or watch the behind-the-scenes video afterward on Eddie’s YouTube channel.

He’s on tour right now. Here’s the spots to see him live which I highly recommend. Go to his website for details.

https://www.eddiepepitone.com/

Eddie’s Insta.

https://www.instagram.com/eddiepep/

Eddie’s brilliant podcast

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/apocalypse-soon-with-eddie-pepitone/id738201614

 

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Sammy Shore: One of the Most Underrated Comedian to Have Ever Graced the Stage

With over 70 years in the comedy industry, Sammy Shore was a legend. Having opened for everyone from Barbra Streisand, Ann-Margret, Tony Bennett, and even the late great Elvis. Sammy Shore was a seriously funny man. His jokes ranged from his religion to his saggy ass in old age, and even ripping into his famous son, Pauly Shore.  Sammy Shore was a master of comedic timing. Watching Sammy on stage was a true experience as his stand-up comedy matched his physical comedy. Having said every word in the book and having said it with a straight face, nothing stopped Sammy.

Sammy Shore was born in 1932 at the start of the depression, which couldn’t have made life easy. Growing up in New York in a traditional Jewish household led to some of Sammy’s greatest inspirations. Starting in the Catskills mountains in New York, Sammy met his partner in crime, Shecky Greene. The area was well known as the “Borscht Belt” and served as a starting ground for new and rising stand-up comedy stars. There, Sammy started to get a foothold into his well-known comedic timing. He met his first wife, Mitzi, and they had their four children, Pauly Shore, Scott Shore, Peter Shore and Sandy Shore. While visiting Los Angeles with his wife, Mitzi, he had a stroke of luck. He happened to be with a musical group that was going to be on the Bob Crosby Show. There, he happened to be asked to do a few minutes to warm up the live audience and killed it. Network executives asked him to perform on the Jack Benny Show right after the show.  

Moving onwards and upwards into success, Sammy started the well-known “The Comedy Store” in Los Angeles. It wasn’t long before a messy divorce ended with Sammy’s ex-wife taking ownership of the club. Rumor had it that it had been a plot meant to lower the amount of alimony he needed to pay. 

With Mitzi’s passing in 2018 her son Peter took over and has been credited with the revival of The Comedy Store.

Moving from stand-up comedy and away from The Comedy Store led Sammy to the next big step. Movies! Having earned appearances in films like “The Bellboy”, “Fake-Out”, “Thunder Alley”, and “Life Stinks”. Sammy then began to land roles with Mel Brooks in “History of the World: Part I”. Sammy’s IMBd profile is impressive. Mentioning 32 roles and 28 credits for playing himself, watching his career play out over the 70 years is staggering. His IMBd also lists some singing credits – which I’m not even going to mention as they never made the cut anyways.

 

As any good Jewish son, Sammy had to continue to strive to do more; nothing was ever good enough. So, he tried his hand at writing. His debut novel “The man who made Elvis laugh” was well received and started a writing career by giving him another outlet for all of his creativity.  He had been working on his latest novel about the later years of his career.  

Kind of like a treasure hunt; if you want to see Sammy Shore performing his stand-up comedy videos on the internet while there, it is hard to find. But when you see Sammy in action, it is well worth any time you may have spent searching. Watch his face, watch his eyes, follow his jerky motions as he brings you into the routine, even though it’s probably been decades since it was recorded. Sammy has been known to recollect the first time he went on stage before Elvis. Elvis had set up this winding staircase, and as Sammy came down it for the first time for a show, he tripped and fell on stage. The crowd loved it. They thought it was a part of the act. Producers of the show also thought it was a part of the act and praised Sammy for how real it had looked. Sammy recounts that he only did it that first time, never again. 

The career of Sammy Shore will stand the test of time. Not only was he a successful stand-up comedian, but his son Pauly Shore also continues the family legacy. For over 20 years, the two toured together in “A Family Affair” worldwide. Touting a “true father-son duo” was their shtick, and they loved doing it. Sammy also loved putting in a few pot shots at Pauly whenever possible. Pauly doesn’t hold back and, after Sammy’s passing, goes on to tell a story about how his dad wore a headpiece that looked so good that no one ever knew it was fake. He laughs as he says he, his sister, and his dad would go to the park, and Sammy would take off the toupee and toss it around like a frisbee.

 

Not only was Sammy not one to take himself too seriously, but he also had a love of dogs that rivaled Betty White’s. Starting and starring in “Funny Bones,” a charity event in New Orleans yearly to raise funds for dogs in need of surgery. He had often been quoted saying that “he likes dogs better than he likes people”.

From working in TV to movies, writing, and continuing with stand-up, there was no end to the creativity and hilarity of Sammy Shore. As he once said, he “started as a ventriloquist; he’s been in the biz for so long that even his puppet died before him.

  At 92 years old, Sammy Shore passed of natural causes in Las Vegas. A true showman until the end.

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DAVE ATTELL

by Standworld staff writer Abdul Basit Hasmi

Dave Attell grew up in the small community of Rockville Centre on Long Island, New York. After he graduated in 1987 with a degree in Communication from New York University, Dave headed for venues that offered stand-up comedian open-mike nights, flunking his very first appearance at Governors Comedy Cabaret in Long Island. Not one to take ‘no’ for an answer, Dave supported himself with mundane day jobs while working as many late night open-mic gigs as possible. He said that the crowd at these late night gigs responded quite well to some of his ‘more–twisted’ material, which suited him just fine.

In 1987 Dave found his way on to the Rosie O’Donnell television show, ‘Stand Up Spotlight’ on VH1, following in the footsteps of other comedians with early appearances on the show. He kept himself busy until he scored his first appearance on ‘The Late Show with David Letterman’ on November 23, 1993. This appearance provided the 25-year old Dave with the big break that he’d been hoping for.

He was spotted by Lorne Michaels, creator of ‘Saturday Night Live’, who liked what he was seeing, and Dave ended up working as a writer and sometimes performer for the show’s 1993 – 1994 season. What followed was a prolific career as an entertainer on television and in the movies, both as a writer and as a performer. Some of his more notable television appearances as a stand-up comedian and as an actor in the decade before the turn of the century include the ‘HBO Comedy Showcase’ and the ‘Young Comedians Special’ in 1995, the ‘HBO Comedy Half-Hour’ in 1996, ‘Live at Jongleurs’ in 1997, ‘Mr. Vegas All-Night Party starring Drew Carey’ in 1997. He also participated in the ‘NY Friars Club Roast of Drew Carey’ in 1998. 

Finally, after twenty-three years of working his fingers to the funny bone, Dave Attell had the opportunity to air his own television series. He grabbed it with both hands, and ‘Late Night Insomniac with Dave Attell’ crashed onto the scene, premiering in August 2001 on the Comedy Central Network. The half-hour episode featured Dave traveling late at night to a bunch of different cities, doing a gig at a local comedy club and stopping at nearby restaurants to meet other night shift employees. His laid-back habit of cracking jokes and taking pics with bystanders helped turn the show into a major hit with viewers, and the show ran until November 2004. It included the filming of a set of special hour-long shows in Brazil, England, Germany and Japan. Dave continued appearing in movies and on television shows, including a very brief stint hosting ‘The Gong Show with Dave Attell’. Unfortunately, the show washed out, lasting only eight episodes.

Dave Attell has been on a number of very successful national stand-up comedy tours. The first was in 2003 together with Lewis Black on the, ‘Comedy Central Live Starring Dave Attell and Lewis Black’. In 2005, in collaboration with Clear Channel Music and Comedy Central, Dave Attell took his signature show on the road. The ‘Comedy Central Live Presents Dave Attell: The Insomniac Tour’ launched on April 20, 2005 at the Nashville War Memorial Auditorium. The tour visited venues in more than thirty-five cities across the country, ending is Las Vegas on July 3, 2005. He also took part in a USO tour in 2009, taking stand-up comedy to American troops stationed in Afghanistan, and has continued to regularly participate in USO tours. 2011 saw Dave get together with Bill Burr, Jim Breuer and Jim Norton on the ‘Anti-Social Network Tour’. The tour was so successful that they did a rinse repeat in 2012. In 2014, he did another tour special, ‘Road Work’, filming his appearances in comedy clubs in Massachusetts, Minneapolis, New Jersey, New Orleans and Philadelphia.

He has been part of the tagalong group of stand-up comedians on other tours, too. Judd Apatow decided to throw a seven-city ‘Trainwreck Comedy Tour’ in 2015, and invited Dave Attell, Amy Schumer, Mike Birbiglia, Vanessa Bayer, and Colin Quinn. More recently, he’s been sharing the stage with Jeff Ross on the ‘Bumping Mic’s’ tour in 2021, taking their popular Netflix show on the road.

Dave has a bunch of tour shows lined up for 2022, details of which are available on the ConcertPass. Indeed, it’s almost impossible to pinpoint an instance when this busy, busy, busy comedian isn’t working on a comedy gig somewhere, or on a television show or acting in a movie.

With his impressive experience and stand-up comedy skill set, it is surprising to discover that Dave Attell does not have his own podcast show. He’s frequently appeared as a guest on a number of podcasts, though, all of which are available on Spotify as well as several other download options. Loads of his other shows are available for streaming on Netflix, so there is no reason at all to miss out on your laughs. His album ‘Dave Attell’s The Insomniac Tour: Uncensored’ is available on DVD from Amazon, it’s a must have for true stand-up fans!

Also, here’s Jeff Ross talking about Dave on Your Mom’s House about Mike Binder’s favorite comedy act, ‘Bumping Mics’.

Also, make sure you get out and see Dave live. It’s a true treat. There’s a reason he’s pretty much every comedian you love favorite comic.

Dave Attell tour dates.

http://daveattell.com/

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/daveattell/

Twitter

@attell

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Phyllis Diller – More than Just a Funny Gal

By Abdul Basit Hashmi –

STANDUPWORLD staff writer

@basithashmi

 

In order to appreciate how many of today’s top comics got started, it helps to look where their inspiration took root. And Phyllis Diller is definitely on the list for many modern comedy acts.

Familiar names including Ellen DeGeneres, Rosanne Barr, and Joan Rivers (who actually wrote jokes for Diller) have recognized Phyllis as a huge inspiration in the pursuit of their comedy careers. Phyllis Diller broke all kinds of glass ceilings for future generations of comedy talent. 

To truly appreciate Diller’s rise to fame, you’ve gotta start at the beginning. Phyllis was born in 1917 and raised in Ohio. She attended two different colleges after high school to pursue her musical education. Diller had a real talent for playing the piano, but she lacked confidence when performing. That quickly burned out any hope she had of playing professionally.

In 1939, Phyllis married Sherwood Anderson Diller and the couple welcomed six children. The comedian found that she had a knack for coming up with one-liners about the mundane life of a mother. She would let the jokes fly when she was with other mothers who encouraged her to make a go of writing comedy.

By the time her family found their way to California, Phyllis had been working on her own comedy routine. She got herself a job at a SanFrancisco television station and worked on getting the courage to pitch her act.

The hosts at that television station loved it and they put her on their show in 1955. Little did Diller know that this opportunity had put her on the fast track to an outstanding comedy career.

When Phyllis was in her late 30s, she got a gig performing at The Purple Onion nightclub in SanFrancisco. The engagement was supposed to last for two weeks. But Diller ended up performing at the club for more than a year and a half.

All of the exposure she got at the extended performances led to appearances on talk shows and variety acts. She brought her one-liner barbs to banter with some of the time’s top comedians including Jack Benny, Red Skeleton, and Jack Paar. Diller also became a contestant on You Bet Your Life, hosted by the renowned Groucho Marx in 1950.

Despite going through difficult personal relationships throughout her career, Phyllis’s comedy was unstoppable. She took her divorce from her first husband and managed to come up with one of her favorite topics in her routine- “Fang”, her fictional husband. To quote this hilarious lady, “‘Fang’ is permanent in my act. Don’t confuse him with my real husbands. They are temporary”.

Fang”, her fictional husband

https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/national-international/phyllis-diller-fangs-for-the-memories/1928067/

Once the entertainment opportunities started rolling in, they never seemed to stop. You could see Phyllis appear on The Tonight Show starring Jack Paar, A Bob Hope Comedy Special, What’s My Line?, What’s This Song?, The Jack Paar Show, That Regis Philbin Show, The Andy Williams Show, The Carol Burnett Show, The Match Game, The Joey Bishop Show, The Ed Sullivan Show, The Bob Hope Show, The Dean Martin Show, The Hollywood Squares, and so many more.

Diller’s versatility and relatable content kept the talk and game show appearance opportunities rolling in for several decades in her career. She was known to describe her act as “tragedy revisited”. 

In addition to her sharp wit, she also combined over-the-top costumes, wild, untamed hair, and chintzy makeup, along with a contagious, loud cackle for a laugh—she created an unforgettable performance every time. She also used a cigarette holder as a prop for her routines during the 1960s and 1970s, but Diller was a lifelong non-smoker.

The loveable comedian would also go on to have several facelifts and cosmetic procedures throughout her career and use the experiences in her act. On a more serious note, Phyllis agreed to pose for some risque photos that were intended for publication in Playboy magazine. While the photos never did make it to print, one can be viewed in her autobiography, “Like a Lampshade in a Whorehouse”.

Diller’s ability to grow and adapt to a changing entertainment landscape provided opportunities for the comedian to try her hand as an actor. During the last decades of her career, she acted in The Bold and the Beautiful, Family Guy, Boston Legal, 7th Heaven, Even Stevens, and The Drew Carey Show. Diller appeared in too many shows to count, but you can head over to a site like IMDB to scroll and scroll and scroll through her filmography.

Another area in which Diller excelled was in voice acting. She has credits in a large number of animated television shows, but A Bug’s Life (both 1 and 2) was arguably her most recognized voice-acting role as Queen.

Ultimately, no one was able to poke fun at themselves quite like Phyllis Diller. Some of her best quips are “I once wore a peekaboo blouse. People would peek and then they would boo,” “You know you’re old when someone compliments you on your alligator shoes and you’re barefoot,” and “I still take the pill because I don’t want any more grandchildren.”

Phyllis Diller decided to retire from her active Hollywood career in 2002. While she made a few appearances here and there, she never fully returned. Phyllis passed away in 2012, leaving laughter, inspiration, and a legacy that will last for a long time.

This lady was skilled at many things, but comedy will always be at #1. If you’re new to Phyllis Diller or haven’t seen her work for a while, you can chip away at watching your way through her filmography. You might not be able to view everything, but you’re guaranteed to step away with some new favorite jokes in your arsenal.

Purple Onion

https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/phyllis-diller/bio/3000029465/ 

Diller had a real talent for playing the piano

https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_1822290 

A Bob Hope Comedy Special

https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/collections/bob-hope-comedy-collection 

The Carol Burnett Show

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Do7sl4uVqHk 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Do7sl4uVqHk

Phyliss on ‘You Bet Your Life’

https://madlyodd.com/comedian-phyllis-diller-joins-groucho-marx-for-you-bet-your-life/ 

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=best+oof+Phylliss+Diller