CHAPTERS
- 0:00 – 1:55
Settling in Nashville & building an hour on the road
Joe welcomes Nate to Austin and they talk about Nate moving back to Nashville for family reasons while touring heavily. Nate explains how he uses local clubs like Zanies as a "workout room" and how road time helps him build a full hour.
- 1:55 – 3:15
New material strategy: opening with fresh jokes & managing audience expectations
Nate and Joe compare approaches to structuring sets after releasing a special. Nate explains why he opens with new jokes, how crowds grant more patience early, and how he signals when he’s switching to older material.
- 3:15 – 5:16
Nate’s first Comedy Store moment—thanks to Joe (and the awkward intro)
Nate tells a formative story from 2003/2004 when Joe helped him get onstage at The Comedy Store. The open-mic introduction frames Nate as Joe’s "best friend," creating instant tension with other comics and a memorable early-career lesson.
- 5:16 – 9:45
Early encouragement, road-gig lessons, and the ‘zen’ mindset for grinding
Joe and Nate reflect on how compliments from respected comics can fuel years of persistence. They segue into Tony V’s advice about accepting travel and hardship with a calm "this is what I’m doing now" mindset, then broaden it to discipline and routine.
- 9:45 – 12:24
How comedians write: essays, gold-panning, and onstage discoveries
Joe describes his writing method—freewriting long thoughts and extracting usable pieces—while Nate shares how real-life moments can become a special-worthy opener within weeks. They also talk about the insecurity that hits right after you film a special.
- 12:24 – 16:40
Pandemic comedy: drive-ins, masks, and timing without laughter
They discuss how comics adapted during COVID—especially drive-in shows and masked audiences. Nate explains the surreal challenge of performing to honks and headlights, then details taping his Netflix special with masked crowds and mic’d tables to capture laughs.
- 16:40 – 30:09
Mask politics, per-capita confusion, and distrust in shifting guidelines
The conversation shifts to public behavior around masks and the social power of enforcement. Nate jokes about graphs and "per capita" stats, while Joe explains why per-capita framing exists and they react to changing distancing guidance (6 feet vs 3 feet).
- 30:09 – 36:36
Patrice O’Neal, Kurt Metzger stories, and why comedy ‘sounds mean’ without context
They reflect on Patrice’s influence—especially the idea that jokes come from the same place even when they misfire. Nate shares stories from New York with Metzger and Big Jay, plus a Patrice anecdote about dinosaurs that shaped Nate’s open-mindedness.
- 36:36 – 40:03
YouTube rabbit holes: flat earth, ‘space is fake,’ and why conspiracy videos persuade
Joe explains how persuasive presentation can make nonsense feel credible when no one challenges it in real time. They discuss flat-earth momentum, how people ‘want’ certain stories to be true, and how conspiracies become identity and community.
- 40:03 – 52:18
Bigfoot deep dive: Missing 411, Pacific Northwest forests, and ‘Samurai sounds’
They pivot into Bigfoot, using Missing 411 as a springboard to discuss disappearances and how vast forests distort perception. Joe breaks down why bears and dense terrain can produce Bigfoot sightings, then plays and critiques the famous ‘Samurai sounds’ recording.
- 52:18 – 1:08:15
UFOs and spacetime tech: Fravor’s Tic Tac, Bob Lazar, and military vs aliens
Joe brings up claims about Navy-linked spacetime modification concepts and ties them to UFO lore. They revisit Bob Lazar and Area S4, then discuss the 2004 Tic Tac encounter and the possibility that UFOs are either alien craft or classified military tech.
- 1:08:15 – 1:29:07
UFC fandom: once-in-a-lifetime fighters, Dana White’s candor, and fighter realities
Nate explains how UFC pulled him in by highlighting generational talents like Jon Jones and Khabib, and by making greatness legible to casual fans. Joe and Nate discuss Usman vs Masvidal, training camps, injuries, and why women’s MMA became a standout product.
- 1:29:07 – 1:40:29
Weed business & legality: cash-only risks, dispensary history, and CBD vs THC
They explore how state legality clashes with federal scheduling, creating banking and security problems for dispensaries. Joe shares early LA medical-marijuana stories, explains CBD’s uses, and they compare weed risks to alcohol and prescription drugs like Ambien.
- 1:40:29 – 2:07:31
Food chaos: chain-restaurant comfort, diet soda, donuts, and ‘hot’ Krispy Kreme logic
Nate admits to living on chain food and sweets, from McDonald’s to Krispy Kreme, and jokes about hiding his donut habit. Joe discusses diet soda and additives, late-night eating behavior, and how exercise changes what sugar does to the body.
- 2:07:31 – 2:26:15
Fame, time travel, presidents, and Tesla vs Edison (plus eccentric geniuses)
They riff on how internet access demystified celebrities and how little most people could prove if they time-traveled. The conversation bounces through naming presidents, historical figures, and Tesla’s brilliance and eccentricities as a model for ‘too-smart-to-be-normal.’
- 2:26:15 – 2:58:46
Comedy lineage & the grind: Boston/New York scenes, bad gigs, and evolving the craft
They zoom out to comedy history from Lenny Bruce to Pryor, then talk Boston’s club density and the brutal early-stage realities of tiny crowds. Joe recalls seeing Bill Hicks bomb fearlessly; they discuss why hardship seasons build better standups and how podcasts changed audience understanding of the process.
- 2:58:46 – 3:08:18
Closing: Nate’s Netflix special details, filming challenges, and the Zanies dump-truck story
They wrap with Nate’s upcoming Netflix release and how he avoided making it feel like a ‘COVID special,’ even keeping helicopter interruptions tied to a real police chase. After farewells, they trade a final story about Zanies’ wall art getting hit—specifically Nate’s face—by a dump truck.
