Three Grades of Fatty Tuna.

Hi, People!

San Diego was much better than I expected.

I’m not sure why I had an aversion to San Diego but I was wrong. I don’t know if it’s a great place or what is really going on there. I know people seem to go there to party. The streets were filled with people wandering around in shorts and different types of beach party/nightclub outfits. Some carrying drinks. I was downtown though.  I have no point of reference for the big picture. I do know that the crowds were great and The American Comedy Club is a sweet little venue. It’s a real comedy club. Basement-style. There’s something about low ceilings and a subterranean environment that make for a good laugh hole.

I didn’t have a great attitude going in. I had done a bunch of big venues lately and as much as I love doing clubs, the five-show haul in a beach city had me dreading it a bit (even through all the shows were sold out). I assume that people who live in beach areas live there because they’re laid back and enjoy life. My other assumption was that I wasn’t going to sell many tickets because after a nice day by the water people would think, ‘Do we really want to do that to ourselves? I love Maron but today was so relaxing.’ On top of my skewed negative expectations, it took me five hours to make the 120 odd mile drive on HIGHWAYS. Why? Because Southern California sucks. I’m a traffic baby. I can’t stand it.

Needless to say, with the lingering jet lag from my Europe trip and the fact that I was running on three hours of sleep and I had just spent five hours in traffic (on a road that would’ve been fine if I was MOVING) I was a bit loopy and cranky. I felt hungover, beat up. Like I did back in the drug days on the third day of a three-day run. Then, something magical happened.

My fans came out and that room just had the amazing comedy club electricity that comes when people are scrunched together in a small basement comedy room. The sets were sizzling. There’s was riffing and big bits and crowd work and weirdness. Sometimes I forget that I am and always have been a club comic and I know how to do that shit.

I would definitely go back to San Diego. I really don’t have any sense of the city but I had great shows and some of the best sushi in my life. Seriously. In my life. At a place called Azuki Sushi Café. I mean, I would go back just for that fish. Three grades of fatty tuna. Are you fucking kidding me? It might be worth the mercury poisoning. It’s all about moderation. 

I was thrilled to speak with Brené Brown. If you don’t know here from her TED talks or her books you can watch and read those but she has a Netflix special out now as well. I needed to talk to her. I’m having a bit of a rough time in the emotions department. You can listen to that today. On Thursday I have one the funniest talks I’ve done in a long time with comedian/actor Brian Callen. We go back but I didn’t know him that well. Good time. Great talks. 

Enjoy!

Boomer lives!

Love,

Maron

I Came In Hot.

Hello, Folks!

L’Shana Tova, Jews! Happy 5779!

How are you all holding up? I miss Minnesota already. I was just there. The weather was perfect. What a relief to be in the nice cool breeze of the Midwest. What a relief to be on the road.

It’s almost impossible to clear my head when I’m home. There’s always something to do. Something coming at me and when there isn’t, I find something. I guess it’s just my nature or maybe it’s just the nature of being self-employed and basically having three or four jobs. Podcast, standup, writing and acting. Shit never stops. I’m not complaining because I love the work but I can’t get a break. Because if I have an hour-and-a-half of free time each day there’s still a ton of routine maintenance and house shit and errands and food stuff to do. So, getting out on the road gets me some space. Physically and mentally.

That’s not always great either. My mind can get pretty out there, but then I reel it all in and see what’s at the end of the hooks and fillet those monsters on stage.

The crowds in Minneapolis are great. Smart people, cultured people, polite people, sweetly passive-aggressive people. I’m sure there are plenty of assholes there but I think they are polite.

I’ve been aggro, short-fused, ready to pounce for a week or so. Not sure what is going on. Maybe I just feel over-extended. When I got to Minneapolis I just wanted to get my room set up and lock in, relax, write, think. I came in hot. Told the guy at check in I wanted a water kettle so I can make my tea in the room. He said they didn’t have one. I thought, what kind of upscale hotel doesn’t have one? I don’t always stay at upscale places but lately I’ve realized that I have no wife or kids and I’m not sure why I’m not spending money on nice things. It pissed me off that they didn’t have one. I told him they should get one, they’re cheap. He said it wasn’t his job, basically. That just pissed me off. So, after I checked in, I walked to Target and bought one. Fifteen bucks. I stomped back to the hotel with it under my arm, not in a bag, to make a point. I was so ready to just righteously, aggressively but causally, go in there, tell him it was cheap and they could keep it. I had even planned to tweet a pic of it and tag the hotel with some snotty, snarky bullshit remark. I had my cause.

It's sad when the world is out of control and scary that the battles we chose to fight can be stupid and petty just to feel like we have control of something, anything.

I got back and he was gone. A pregnant woman was now behind the counter. She saw me walk in, steamed, carrying the box, and she said, 'Oh you bought one. I found you one. It’s in your room.’ Defeated and humbled I say, ‘Thanks.’ Then the killer line. She says, ‘I can return that for you.’ It was perfect. Polite and annihilating. Masterful passive-aggression but genuine. She would’ve done it. I said, ‘Nah, I’ll do it tomorrow.’

I was in Minnesota for 24-hours and I had been to Target twice and returned something. That’s the life I’m living. 

I need to be humbled a bit. Taken down a notch. It grounded me. Got me level for the shows.

Thanks for coming out Minneapolis.

Today I talk to Billy Eichner about how he became Billy Eichner. On Thursday I talk to comic/writer Adam Cayton-Holland about his memoir which moves through his sister's suicide. Heavy but also funny and sweet. Good talks.

Enjoy! 

Boomer lives!

Love,

Maron

It Was All Over.

I’m back, Folks.

It’s been a pretty good few days. I couldn’t track exactly why until I thought about it. I’ve had this strange feeling of relief the last few days and I realized having this president away, out of the country, is what it must feel like when your abusive dad or stepdad went on a business trip. You get a little breathing room. Obviously, we’re getting updates but it still feels a little better knowing he’s gone for a week. 

It was great to be in Chicago. I love Chicago. A real American city. I shot another episode of the yearly show ‘Easy,’ created and directed by Joe Swanberg. This time I grew the beard out to work with Michaela Watkins. It was like a fantasy come true. I love her. I’ve had her on the podcast but I never thought I would get to act with her. I didn’t think I would get to act at all in anything but that seems to have been proven incorrect. I’m no genius actor but I think I do a pretty good job. 

‘Easy’ is all improvised. Like, for real improvised. There's very little to go on other than we figure out where it should begin and end after a few takes. It’s very exciting. I have a lot in my head at all times just bouncing around looking for a way out so I like doing it. The character I play is painfully like me other than being an opportunistic ass which he doesn’t realize until the last minute and I’m not sure he even realizes it then. It’s his charm or flaw. Depends how you look at it. 

I’ve been out on the road for a couple of weeks. It’s predictable to watch my principles around food crumble out there. I have a cholesterol issue. I’m on fucking medicine for fuck's sake. I’m not sure if it’s working. I have to go get some blood work done. I’ve been really good about eating almost no animal products other than fish. But when you’re in Chicago you almost feel like you are being disrespectful if you don’t eat the good stuff. 

I buckled for some Lou Malnati's pizza and it was only a matter of time before nothing mattered. We ate a couple of times at some place called Neco. Then we went to a place called The Bad Hunter and it was all over. How could I not eat burnt coconut ice cream and steak kabobs? Not together. You know what I mean. It’s just interesting what the brain can justify when you want to believe it’s okay to act a certain way or do what you want. Reason dissolves. Belief in a moment is all you are honoring despite knowing the truth. It’s ridiculous and human and the source of most of the problems in the world. Obviously, I’m not talking about eating. You get my drift. 

Today I talk to Griffin Dunne about a lot of things. He’s doing an amazing job on the new Amazon show ‘I Love Dick’ with Kevin Bacon and Kathryn Hahn. I also hang out for a bit with my old pal Bill Burr. Always good to talk to Bill. On Thursday rock Zelig and impresario Danny Fields talks to me about the Beatles, Warhol, the Doors, the Stooges, MC5, the Ramones, etc. He was there for it all. It was a lot to wrangle. Great talks. 

Enjoy!

Boomer lives!

Love,

Maron

The Show is the Work.

How’s it going, People?
 
You all hanging in? As of this writing, in this moment, now, I am ok. Wait. No, I’m fine. 
 
Big news out of the gate here… The WTF book ‘Waiting for the Punch’ is now available for preorder. It’s great. I had no idea about some of the amazing things people told me until I saw them in print. This isn't just a collection of interviews. It's a running narrative of about 200 people working through all the messiness that is life. It's big, it's funny, it's heartbreaking, it's really something special. We are so proud of it. Get it here!
 
I’m always amazed at my commitment and preoccupation, obsession, with little bullshit aggravations. I know what is going on. I know why my brain does it. It’s sort of like the opposite of spirituality but seeks to serve the same ends. When things are terrifying and out of your control, which is most things, why not get completely preoccupied for a few hours with a scuff on your new boots and obsess about what an asshole you are for not paying more attention to walking and what you do with your feet? Then, over time wrestle that attack on self and events that are natural and out of your control into some kind of acceptance. Boots get scuffed. They’re boots. Stupid. 
 
This pattern of panic and anger at little things is exacerbated by me having actual big things happening as well. I am taping my Netflix special in Minneapolis on Saturday. I’m playing it off like it’s not a big deal but in terms of what I do, it’s a big deal. There are cameras, lighting, a crew and a theater involved. I have to have my act together, be aware of what I’m doing, not dick around too much, tighten shit up and commit to a shirt. Instead of thinking about all that, I’d rather totally focus on the scuff on my boot. Actually, I’ve let that go and moved on to the need to clean out my closet at home. Pressing stuff. 
 
Also, the ever-present possibility and reality of the world coming unhinged or destroyed seems to be pervasive and a boot and/or cluttered closet isn’t really an effective stop gap against it permeating my being every few minutes. Acceptance. Courage. Be present. Do what you do. We all get scuffed up. 
 
That all being said I did three sold out shows at the Aladdin in Portland, Oregon over the weekend and they were great. Really great. I love the crowds there. I love the city. Even though every time I’m there I feel the presence of some kind of old timey darkness that seems to come up through the ground. I’ve grown to believe that there is a détente between the groovy, progressive, odd human trip of Portland and the disgruntled ghosts beneath it that creates a loaded but energetic vibe to the place. And there’s really good food and coffee there. I don’t know if bizarre facial hair and artisanal products will prove to be an effective defense in the long run against the sucking darkness of the Earth Spirits but it is holding for the time being. 
 
The show is the work. I am honing an hour and half down to about 70 minutes which is a task. I don’t like honing that much. I don’t like having a time limit. I don’t like polishing and trimming a set. It makes it feel like work and can suck the impulsive spontaneity out of the creative juice of the thing BUT it is part of the craft of artisanal standup comedy. It ultimately is very satisfying and even professional to reign it in and pull it together. Also, I’ve never done a set for an hour long anything, i.e. a special or CD, that didn’t get thrown off track by some unseen, unexpected moment or event on the night of. I welcome it. I work with the ghosts and impulses of structures, humans, wires and currents in the moment. We’ll see what happens next Saturday. Come to the taping if you are in or around Minneapolis. Don’t take this as an invitation to throw a fun wrench into the works. 
 
Today I talk to veteran director Walter Hill who made some great movies. I love talking to directors. It was a great chat. A bit of a rock and roll show on Thursday. I recently got turned on to the music of this guy Mac DeMarco and found myself sort of mesmerized by it so I had to have him over to figure out why. Also, singer/songwriter Mark Lanegan, who has one of the greatest voices ever, will be in the garage. 

Enjoy! 

Boomer lives!

Love,

Maron

He Picked Me Over Them.

Hey, Folks!

I will be doing workshop sets at the Trepany House at the Steve Allen Theater in May and June starting May 10th. You can get tickets here.

It a rough week for a lot of people. There’s been a lot of sadness and death around. There is everyday, I guess, but when it hits us all at once it's daunting. Prince is dead. He wasn’t one of my guys full-on but I certainly recognize his genius and love his work. It’s a big void when the big geniuses leave this plane. We have a lot of his stuff though, so that’s good that he left it here.

A friend of mine is going through a real tragic loss and it’s just so random and unexplainable when horrible things happen and you realize how fragile life truly is. Devastating at times. My heart goes out to him and his family. 

I’m on my way now to a Garry Shandling memorial service. Unreal. I believe that it will be a sad but funny celebration of his life. Grief is horrible but necessary. I’m not sure I know how to experience it.  Humor helps. There’s a lot of death around lately. I don’t like it.

I was able to help at least one person this week with grief. I was pulling out my driveway and heading down my hill. A car was coming up the hill and it stopped beside me. There was a couple in the car. The man was driving. He said they were feeding a deaf black cat for month and it just disappeared. He asked me if I had seen it or if I knew the cat. I said, “Yes, he lives under my house. He’s getting all fat. He’s doing fine.” The women in the car seemed relieved but upset by this. She said, “Why would he go away? We were feeding him for so long.” She was hurt. These feral cats just don’t care who they hurt with their shifting loyalties. I know they come and go. I’ve had some around for months and then they disappear for months. I thought Deaf Black Cat was dead for a while but it turns out he was just hanging out with them. I guess I feel good that I got him back but I’m sorry they went through not knowing what happened to him. I think they are relieved he is not dead but kind of mad that he picked me over them. I’ve got the good food. The high-end shit. The crack for the wild guys.

Today I talk to self-destructive prank clown Steve O about some pretty deep shit. Great interview. Solid dude. On Thursday I talk to Rob Reiner. I haven’t done it yet so we will all find out together how that goes.

Enjoy!

Boomer lives!

Love,

Maron