Tom Rhodes Radio Smart Camp

This episode was recorded in Paris. I met Sebastian Marx the last time I played in Paris. He has the young hot new scene  putting on stand up comedy nights in English and in French.  When I met him I came to see him perform a one hour show in French. He has lived in France for years and speaks French fluently. I didn't understand a word of the show but I was impressed to see an American speaking French and getting laughs. He is originally from New York with Argentinian parents. There are many reasons for me to love Sebastian Marx because he and I have so many things in common. Being American with a parental Argentinian connection, love of comedy, love of French culture, not afraid to live in Europe, etc. The upstairs room at the So Gymnase theatre is where I did my shows with Sebastian. It's an intimate cozy room with old couches and a low ceiling which is perfect for comedy. He regularly puts on his New York Comedy Nights show there. The audiences I experienced where multiethnic, multinational and of high

This episode was recorded in Paris.   I first met Sand Van Roy after my show in Paris in June 2012. Speaking with her I was tickled to find out that she was a huge comedy fan and that he all time favorite comedian is Mitch Hedberg. She was thrilled to hear that I was Mitch Hedberg's friend. She was trying a joke that she had written out on me and I told her that I liked it.    In this conversation recorded earlier this month in Paris I discover that it was that moment that inspired Sand to begin being a comedian one week after I met her. Because of Mitch Hedberg's influence on her she has a style of comedy that is exclusively one liners. What I consider to be the hardest form of comedy that requires a sharp mind and expert precision.    Sand is from Holland and now lives in Paris earning her living as a model. She is the first ever super model comedian that I am aware of. To focus on her good looks instead of her comedy is to sell her short in appreciating her outer shell instead of her brain power to invent

This episode was recorded in Amsterdam.   I first met Peter Klashorst ten years ago when he appeared as a guest on my Amsterdam late night talk show. At the time I was told that he was famous for painting naked black women. Having a deep appreciation for dark skinned women I liked the man instantly. His journey as an artist has been epic with a world wide reach.  He lived in Senegal where he was arrested for running a brothel. He said he was only hiring women as models but the authorities wanted to hassle him. From there he moved to Kenya and his feelings about Africa and African people are dear to his heart and he still maintains an art studio there as well as in Amsterdam.  I got to hang out with Peter several times in Amsterdam and he is one of the few humans alive who earns his living solely from painting works of art. Every fiber of his being exudes the thoughts and actions of an artist and it was a joy to see him painting in his studio when I did. As a younger man I always loved Rembrandt and Van Gogh b

This episode was recorded in Rotterdam.   It always tickles me to meet intelligent people who attend my shows and are fans of mine. Last month after my show in Rotterdam I met Zihni Özdil and I was so struck by his intelligence, life's work and personable being that I instantly wanted to record an episode of my podcast with him to squeeze out his knowledge for the enjoyment of my listeners.    He is a social historian at Erasmus University in Rotterdam, one of the highest rattiest intellectual universities in all of Europe. He is an expert on the racial history of the Netherlands and the continuing problems that non-Dutch people face here. For those of you who have never been to Holland you will be interested in learning the word "Allochtoon" which means "Dirty foreigner" and is used to describe all non-Dutch people living in this country, even if these people have been born here.    Throughout the world the Netherlands is known as a country of tolerance but put under the microscope it is anything but toleran

This episode was recorded at the American hotel in Amsterdam. Greg Shapiro is one of the nicest people you will ever meet in show business. He is originally from Chicago where he got his earliest improv training and he moved to Amsterdam in 1994 where he became one of the founding members of Boom Chicago, the Mecca of improv comedy in Amsterdam that has launched former members to Saturday Night Live and beyond. Greg just published a book called 'How to be orange' which is all about the ins and outs of Dutch culture from its most lovable traits to the most odd and hilarious. He knows so much about Dutch culture he is actually referred to as the American Nederlander. He should be an expert on Dutch culture because he has lived in Amsterdam for 20 years, married a supremely wonderful and beautiful Dutch woman who he is raising two children with. Greg produced my recent theater tour of Holland and this was recorded on the last day of that tour. In this conversation we both share knowledge gained from our lives

This episode was recorded in Amsterdam. It is ass biting cold outside and miserable rain is expected. I am currently on a theater tour performing around Holland and I'm happy to see good friends who live here that I haven't seen in a while. One of which is Bob Maclaren. Bob has been living in Amsterdam for 20 years and speaks fluent Dutch. He is from New Zealand and like me he does all the great world wide comedy gigs.  I met Bob when I first moved to Holland. He and I were both considered as the host of a travel program for the Discovery channel and Bob got it which mildly irked me. In today's conversation I find out that Bob was up for the host of the Amsterdam Late Night talk show that I got and he was mildly irked that I got it. It's like when you are young, the people you have issues or competition with usually are the ones who become your closest friends.  I have an infinite amount of respect for Bob because he not only is a naturally funny story teller and comedian, he is also one of the top comedy

This episode was recorded in San Francisco. Jack Boulware has been one of my best friends in life since I lived in San Francisco in the early 1990s. He has been there for me through thick and thin and through the many ups and downs I have had in my life. Aside from being a true solid friend to me he has also been my intellectual guru who I talk with about comedy, books, movies and life. He is a deep well of knowledge that never fails to fill me up when I need guidance or just a volleying partner to dissect American and world culture with. He is a writer by trade and as such he has had a storied career that by any measurement scale equates him to be a true American bad ass. He was the main features writer for the SF Weekly for 8 years, he has written countless travel pieces for the world's most respected magazines, he has written several books and most notably, he is the cofounder of Litquake, San Francisco's most prestigious literary festival. I'm thankful that such a cyclone of knowledge and Steve McQueen

This episode was recorded in San Francisco. Greg Behrendt in my mind is the quintessential San Franciscan. I met Greg when I first moved to San Francisco in 1991 and he is one of the nicest people I have ever met in the entertainment industry.  Like most people in the business he has seen his ups and downs but that fact that his comedy contains the original spirit of joy and that he is not bitter makes him a champion. He was a writing consultant for 'Sex in The City' and went on to co write the book 'He's Just Not That Into You' which not only went on to be made into a movie but landed him on the Oprah Winfrey show and resulted in 'The Greg Behrendt Show'. It had been many years since I had seen him and we got to sit down to chat this past week while we were both performing in San Francisco. He is a perfect example of how to navigate a career following your heart instead of setting your clock by what show business thinks you should be doing with yourself. It's my pleasure to present to you the one and onl

I have known and respected Drew Hastings for over 20 years. His jokes have always possessed an intelligent cynicism that hit me right in the heart of what I find funny. This conversation was recorded two years ago. While performing in Cincinnati I heard that Drew was now the mayor of Hillsboro, Ohio and when I finished my shows I stopped off to see him on my way to Chicago. He still performs stand up comedy, in fact his career took off once he left Los Angeles and moved back to his native Ohio. He is the kind of friend I cherish the most, the kind with differing opinions who can make you see things another way without it exploding into an argument. He is also what I would consider the most dangerous kind of politician, the kind who is sincere and genuinely cares about the people he represents. His story is fascinating and one that will probably one day be made into a movie. He is a prime example of the great and powerful things that can happen if you follow your heart and do what you believe in.  It is my

This episode was recorded in Brooklyn, New York. Having co-created the Daily Show and co-founded Air America it is a solid fact that Lizz Winstead has left a permanent mark on American entertainment and the American consciousness. Like most innovators and socially forward thinkers the roots of her tree began in stand up comedy.  I worked with Lizz several times in the early years of my career as her opening act. I was a very young and inexperienced comedian and I loved and respected her from our initial meeting. She was a strong female headliner in a profession that was mostly male dominated. She shared her comedy wisdom with me back then and I have always appreciated the intelligence she brought to any project she put her name on.  In the early years of Comedy Central I appeared on the first version of the Daily Show that Lizz was one of the producers of. I felt like a proud relative seeing Lizz kicking ass in the television world just as hard as she had as a headliner in the stand up comedy world. It had

This episode was recorded in New York City. I was in New York last week to film the new Dave Attell series for Comedy Central. At the moment it is called 'Adults Only'. It's an uncensored stand up show that will air sometime next year. I was there the entire week and got to watch every taping. I was on the last episode and thoroughly loved rocking it and can't wait for people to see it. It had been several years since I had been in New York and it was great to do sets around town honing my set for the filming. It was also great to see a few friends that I had not seen in many years. One of my favorite things in the world is to get together with comedians I love and admire and talk about comedy experiences and the nuts and bolts of the business. One of those people is Jim Gaffigan. I believe the last time Jim and I worked together was in London filming a TV show called 'The World Stands Up'. It had been at least ten years since we had seen each other but it was like we hadn't lost a minute between us when we

This episode was recorded several years ago in Atlanta, Georgia. It happens periodically that I will work with a young comedian that I love as a person and performer. When Jerry Rocha featured for me at the Atlanta Punchline I was pleased at how hard he rocked the room, warming the audience up rather than fouling up the bath water for the rest of the bathers. On and off stage Jerry is extremely likable. I like his style on stage and that he is not too cool to embrace his silliness. I think that after a few more years of seasoning he'll be a beast on the circuit and on viewing screens that must be dealt with. I love the material he does now and I look forward to seeing what mind bending humorous thoughts he comes up with in the future. He is an undiscovered comedy gem and that is why I am presenting him here with my full endorsement of his skills. 

This episode was recorded in Seattle, Washington. I have known Cathy Sorbo for over 20 years. She is not only a brilliant stand up comedian but she also keeps inventing these supremely hilarious songs. She decided to stay based in Seattle to be with her family and I think she is better off for it. Her real life experiences are the gems of her material that makes me laugh the hardest but it is her inventiveness in her style and in her songs that make her a comedy legend. She has been a true friend to me and it would be impossible for me to come to Seattle and not see her. Cathy is one of those rare creatures who personally busts me up with laughter. Her innate silliness perfectly compliments her astute intelligence. She is one of my favorite human beings walking the earth today, she is the one and only Cathy Sorbo.

Recorded in Chicago at Zanies on a Saturday night last September between breaks in 3 shows. Drew Michael was my feature act for the week and I loved what he was doing on stage. He's young, good looking, mildly angst ridden and I believe he will be a dangerously good comedian one day. He is from Chicago but about to move to New York. It was such a busy week for both of us the only time we had to record was during our breaks on a 3 show Saturday. The result is some good examination of the shows and the crowds. Smart comedy has always come out of Chicago and Drew is a prime example of this. I believe in his future so much I wanted to introduce him to you on my show now. Enjoy getting to know Drew Michael!

This episode was recorded in Beijing, China. I first met Des Bishop many years ago in London when we both performed on a show together. He has had a very unique life story and an amazing career trajectory.  Des is originally from New York but has deep family roots in Ireland. He started his stand up comedy career in Dublin and has gone on to have a brilliant television career in Ireland. For the past year he has been living in Beijing because he wants to learn Mandarin Chinese and perform stand up comedy in Chinese. On the night I arrived after I dropped my luggage at the hotel I took a taxi to the local Chinese comedian open mic night that Des puts on. I couldn't believe it when I saw it but here was my friend standing there performing to a room full of Chinese people getting laughs in Chinese! I was absolutely blown away by this feat.  In this episode we talk about Des' television highlights in Ireland and how he came to fall in love with China to make a life here. He also explains everything you need to kn

Sometimes with my podcast I like to imagine it as if I were teaching a university course on stand up comedy. That is why it was an absolute joy for me to sit down with Bill Burr and pick his brain about comedy and his thoughts on the importance of turning over a new hour show every year or two. Personally, for me Bill is one of the most exciting comedians working today. Onstage he is a tempest. He is like watching a major storm develop and then crash down with a fury each new idea he presents. Presently, he is one of the hottest comedians in the world. Touring theaters, giving birth to new hour specials, he even had a recurring role on the critically acclaimed series 'Breaking Bad'. He is a true comedy bad ass. His 'Monday morning podcast' is one of the most downloaded podcasts in the world right now and I'm very proud that my podcast is a part of the All Things Comedy network that Bill started with Al Madrigal. It is my pleasure to present to you now, the rock solid thrower of comedy thunderbolts that is Bi

The more I get to know Ari Shaffir the more I like him. He is one of the most pleasant human beings walking this earth. Every time I see him he puts a smile on my face. I have never seen him with a dark cloud of emotions hanging over him.  Several years ago he started doing story telling shows and now that concept of his is being produced by Comedy Central digital in a series called 'This can't be happening'.  A few weeks ago I caught up with Ari in San Francisco while he was co-headlining at Cobb's with Joey CoCo Diaz. I watched Ari's fans shower him with gifts of joints and marijuana nuggets after his show and the next afternoon we sat down to have this conversation.  We talk about many great things but most importantly we both agree that "Comedy is a dark room where adults go to hear the truth about uncomfortable subjects." 

I was a fan of Carl LaBove before I ever even met him. When I was 17 I went to see Sam Kinison in Orlando and Carl LaBove was the opening act. Carl blew me away that night with his ferocious comedy cyclone, Kinison was wasted and I left the Bob Carr auditorium thinking Carl LaBove was a name to remember. Years later I met Carl when we did the Toronto comedy festival together. On the gala television taping for that festival Carl accidentally ended up being on mushrooms for that performance. I never get tired of hearing Carl tell the story of that night. Through the years I have become good friends with Carl and I see him as a master Samurai warrior of comedy. He is the perfect example to shatter the notion that comedy is a young man's game. Carl continues to be one of my favorite live performing comedians and night after night he harnesses the same enthusiastic high energy story telling power that first blew me away when I saw him at 17. I'm privileged to have seen him perform countless times through the ye

I first saw Rick Shapiro perform when I lived in New York City 1998 - 1999. He wasn't playing in comedy clubs then he had a regular Wednesday night stint at a bar in Lower Manhattan. A musician friend of mine took me to see him and the musician friend told me "This guy does more than comedy. He does raw naked truth". I was ready to not like it but what happened over the next two hours as I sat watching him in this dark bar was uniquely powerful. It took him about 20 minutes to warm up but once he did there were slabs of brilliance. He spoke so freely and candidly about being a heroin addict and male prostitute I was transfixed. The sheer raw power of his honestly as he portrayed different stories of his personal history made me a fan of his work and the comedy thunderbolts he was throwing down.  I didn't meet Rick until about 7 or 8 years ago at a party of comedians in Los Angeles. I must have ignored everyone for most of the night because my main memory of that party is of talking with Rick all night about

I believe this episode is among the very best that I have yet been a part of because of the time, love and preparation that went into making it. Sananda Maitreya was once known by a former name that I will not speak because I get the feeling that person no longer exists and that is the way Mr. Maitreya wants it. I love and respect this man so much it is effortless for me to comply with his wishes. Earlier this year I discovered his brand new album entitled 'Return to Zooathalon' and it has been in my heavy rotation in the music that I have been using to pump me up and fuel me up to keep motoring down the highway. For me as a music lover there is no better feeling than when you fall in love with an artist's music to discover that they have an entire body of work that you were unaware of. That is what happened with me after I feel in love with 'Return to Zooathalon', I discovered the period of recordings Mr. Maitreya calls Post Millennium  Rock. There are so many smash hits in these recordings! As I got furth