Let's Talk About Sets!
Jeff McBride & Harrison Tweed
The "science" & craft of stand-up comedy. A playful podcast by comics in NYC.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Feb 18, 2019 • 1h 37min
Episode 048 THE SETUP – Geoffrey Asmus: “A master of trickery”
Undeniably funny, whitely awkward Geoffrey Asmus joins us to explore THE SETUP in stand-up comedy. Like most things in life, most of the work goes into setting up. If the punchline is the slide, and the setup is the stairs to the top. What is a setup? How can you rework a setup to fix a joke? And even more comedy nerd questions! We also have a great time listening to and frog-dissecting material from two opposite ends of the stand-up spectrum: Rodney Dangerfield and Ari Shaffir.
Feb 5, 2019 • 1h 11min
Episode 047 JOKE THEORY PT. 2 – Harrison Greenbaum: “The secret algorithm of comedy”
Harrison Greenbaum shows how he actually applies all his theories from part 1 of JOKE THEORY to his stand-up writing and performance. We go step-by-step through some of his best material, laughing and geeking out the whole way. It's fucking awesome, so just listen to it. But make sure you've heard part 1 first, ok? (I'm so cranky, I've been working through technical fuckery on this second half for days.)
Jan 22, 2019 • 1h 6min
Episode 046 JOKE THEORY PT. 1 – Harrison Greenbaum: “Is it true, is it new, is it you?”
The magically funny, super accomplished, and hyper-analytical Comedy Cellar comic, Harrison Greenbaum, delivers a masterclass on JOKE THEORY! He enthusiastically shares his favorite joke theories he's learned from others, and he generously outlines his own original theories. These are, truly, some of the best and most actionable approaches to jokes we've ever heard!
Dec 24, 2018 • 1h 56min
Episode 045 COURAGE – Brian Enck: “You have no option but to succeed”
Nationally touring, Brooklyn based comic Brian Enck examines COURAGE in stand-up comedy. It takes courage to start and to keep going. It takes courages to speak your "truth" or to speak candidly about your flaws, mistakes, or personal weirdness. It takes courage to look the fool. Yet it's that vulnerability that can yield some of the most powerfully funny comedy experiences. What are some tricks performers use to get the courage to act despite those fears? We cover this and a lot more via bits by Dave Chappelle, Tig Nataro, Brian Enck, and Jeff McBride.
Dec 10, 2018 • 1h 27min
Episode 044 CONFIDENCE – Sally Ann Hall: “My patronus is a vulva”
NYC comedian, actor, & writer Sally Ann Hall explores the role of CONFIDENCE in stand-up comedy & and life via bits by Jerry Seinfeld, Sarah Silverman, and Mike Birbiglia. This one's a delicious ear treat!
Nov 28, 2018 • 1h 9min
Episode 043 ANECDOTES – Kate Willett: “Just let me be an idiot”
Newly-minted Netflix "specialist" Kate Willett gets down and dirty with us on stand-up ANECDOTES. Anecdotes are distinct from storytelling, usually lacking the storytelling framework--beginning, middle, and end. They're "pointless." There's no emotional journey. Lives are not changed by an anecdotal incident. Yet these flimsy, insubstantial retellings of inconsequential events are the backbone of a lot of the best stand-up comedy. We explore this and more via bits by Brian Regan, Maria Bamford, and Kate herself.
Nov 12, 2018 • 1h 53min
Episode 042 SELF-DEPRECATION – Jacob Williams: “That compliment really hurt my feelings”
Jacob Williams (MTV's Wild 'N Out, Colbert, America's Got Talent, & a lot more) KILLED it in this episode! We absolutely could not stay on topic, and so what? This conversation was UNDENIABLY funny! Between all the goofing around, we hit every angle we could think of on SELF-DEPRECATION in stand-up comedy via bits by Adam Sandler, Demetri Martin, Tom Segura, David Cross, and Jacob Williams himself.
Oct 25, 2018 • 1h 40min
Episode 041 PACING – Joe Zimmerman: “It has to be 3x funnier than it is them learning”
Fresh from a set on the Late Late Show with James Corden and just two days after dropping his new Comedy Central Records album, “Innocence,” the highly credited and ridiculously funny Joe Zimmerman graced us with a wide-ranging discussion loosely focused on PACING in stand-up comedy. Also of note, Joe responded to John Mulaney’s fervent public wish that he could steal one of Joe’s bits.
Oct 12, 2018 • 1h 49min
Episode 040 PERSPECTIVE – Dan Perlman: “Don’t stop with the anecdote–keep going”
Award-winning comedy writer and stand-up comic, Dan Perlman, shares his perspective on PERSPECTIVE in stand-up comedy by geeking out with us on great material from Roy Wood Jr., Joe Rogan, and John Mulaney.
Sep 28, 2018 • 1h 46min
Episode 39 THE ROOM – Norlex Belma: “I know you, now listen to these jokes”
Carolines Breakout Artist Series headliner, Norlex Belma, breaks down THE ROOM in stand-up comedy. When comedians talk about the room, they're referring to a lot of performance parameters: the feel of the crowd, the kind of venue, the demographics, the kind of comedy scene, and the setup of the performance space itself, plus a lot about how he constructed his hour. Lots of comedy craft!
