Don DC Curry

People around here trust the shepherds. Jamie. In the other Jamie, they always have the sheep trust her to gather around. I'll throw another log on the fire. Turn it up just a touch with another episode of the podcast is starting now. Brand new episode of the podcast starts now. Jamie Bendel Jamie, Hernan Adam. Hey, great episode we're about to have very excited about our guest this evening comedian, actor of the well regarded and famous Mr. Don DC curry. Don, welcome to the show. Good to be here, man. What's happening? Well, so we've got a lightning round format here we ask every one of our guests the same question to get them oriented to the format. It's very simple, but it helps set the tone for the remainder of the episode. And that question is clockwise or counterclockwise, clockwise, clockwise, starting with Adam. Excellent. So my question for you is of all the holiday characters and I'm talking Easter Bunny and Santa Claus and Uncle Sam for the Fourth of July. Which one would you most want to be if you actually had to be that character? Santa Claus, man? Yeah, right. Santa Claus. You'd be on suspicion man. You go into a lady's house. And you know you just did a hill are you doing here? Oh, Santa. Sunday kitchen everybody's always offering you cookies whenever you break. Some cookies. Or some food? That's hard to pull that off in an Easter bunny suit. Oh, indeed. That would be an entertaining thing. If you were a mall Santa. And then you worked a gig as Easter Bunny. And you just let the beard hang out under the the bunny head. Yeah. And so it's just it's her? It's Easter Bunny, a man? Oh, one question I never considered. Yeah, I think I probably assumed male only because of Peter Cottontail. Yeah, it could have been done, but it was a Peter Cottontail or misogyny. Oh, ouch. Okay. All right. You're sent on a mission to Mars never to come back. You're allowed to bring one person with you. But they cannot be a family member who goes to Mars with you? Beyonce. That's a good one. All right, I am going to dovetail off of Jamie's question and involve space. You may have seen recently that Michael straight hand took a ride into space. Yeah. All right. My question to you is, how long does someone need to be in space before they should truly be considered an astronaut? Well, longer than they've been going up for? What? 10 minutes, 11 minutes, which I think is ridiculous. When our claim is we've been to the moon 247,000 miles and back. I really don't understand what the big hoopla is about a 10 minute flight, right. And the upper atmosphere basically is where they're, I mean, they're just entering space. If I went to space, or space in quotes, like Michael Strahan, I would never stop wearing my astronaut helmet. When I got back, I would stop wearing the helmet, but I would always wear the suit. You know, we've got so much so much unexplored here on earth. You know, one of the guys that was actually an astronaut, they went up there, crashed his plane the other day and died. I saw that. Yeah. That's a crazy story. It would be like saying, I'm a cyclist in the Tour de France, and I wiped out on my kid's bike with training wheels, right. Like you made it all the way to space. You know, I used to fly back in the day Jamie. Right? No, I didn't know that. Yeah, I had visualizes. I know, I had my visual license like a like Kennedy brother, but I never had my instrument only legs. So what I used to fly out to Kennesaw What do you ever, like Did something happen? And it kind of flipped you out? And you're like, Okay, I gotta leave it to the professionals. Well, no, nothing. Nothing drastic like that happen. I just find something like when you fly regularly, you don't think about dying and stuff. Right. But when you only fly intermittently, and that's what happened to me, then, you know, you started worrying. You're guessing your skills. Yeah, you know, yeah. But when you're flying on a regular, you know, it becomes almost second nature kind of like driving car, which is dangerous because you can get careless, you know, right. Yeah. It's interesting. I've I am very reluctant to fly to feel like I'm in charge of the plane. Oh, I just feel like that's a tremendous responsibility. It is. Yeah, I would imagine it is yeah, and it's irrational, but I feel like being out on a boat. It's something bad happens in the boat. I can at least get in the water and be alive for some time period. Right? When everything goes to hell on the plane, yeah, you're not that's one of my always my fear is I can't air tread water. Yeah, till help. Let me tell you my resume because I would never get in a helicopter ride my brother would mess around a helicopter. I would never get in a helicopter. But my rationalization was even in my training in the small I was flying props. Yeah. In the event of engine failure, you can bring the plane now, right? Those wings aren't going anywhere. Yeah, you can you can actually glide a small plane down. Yeah. Which is why we found my flight plans, but I never would follow them. I would stay like, down. I 75. Right. So now that I'm thinking about it, there are probably people who were NASA astronauts who never went into space, right? Of course. Yeah. I would assume oh, sure. Yeah. But by the same token, you have a non astronaut, like straight hand to use him as an example or Shatner, and they are barely into space, but they get to be considered astronauts. Are they called as far as anyone can say are they're literally called an astronaut. Yeah, they're they are technically allowed to be called astronauts. And they stopped it because what they realized with this space tourism is they wanted to cut it off. It's like a degree meal or something. Oh, yeah. So they so they've changed it now. I don't know what they changed the new standard to but they definitely said this stray hand is the last space tourists that will be called an astronaut. Interesting. Yeah. Well, I must. I must. I must have a bad understanding man. For a definition of an astronaut. Yeah, I would. I didn't it never. It never occurred to me because it always seemed like a profession. Not a like, I don't know what the alternative would be. It's like if I go to a restaurant, and I just happened to go to the back and grab one tray of food and bring it out to a table. Are you a waiter? Am I a waiter? No, you're definitely not. Even in the even in that case, it leaves you participated to some extent. What did Michael Strahan do to get the GFO to his face? No, I think he was just a passenger. Yeah, right. You carry some food on I can see that. Yeah, I'm guessing I have non functional buttons. I was gonna say they should put some non functional button to be like, you can go ahead and push the reentry button. The fake reentry. It's kinda like one of those amusement park rides where you think you're driving, but you're on a track? Right? I don't agree with I think he's an astronaut. Not in OT. Anatomy. Right. All right. My question for you is, if there was a fight between the people at Dragon Con and the people out of state fair, who do you think wins that? Don't we need to know which state? Well, I'm going to put you in Georgia. Okay. Dragon fair. Hands down, man. Yeah, Dragon Con, right. Yes. State Fair. The state fairs usually older people like you and I. Okay. Talking to you. No, I think you're probably right. And I also think that yeah, it's just a matter of people have fake fought a lot. Right? So they're probably ready to real fight. Right? This is like their opportunity to really dive in. Yeah, I don't think it's a fart joke from LARPer to Dragon Con or so. I think that the LARPers are those people in the park that are pretending to fight? You know, in medieval times, but Oh, like, Wait, Adam, or are we real fighting? Yes. Is this our real fighting? I was just in. I was in Memphis, I believe it was and they had the big for lack of the correct term cartoon Festival, which was similar to Dragon. Yeah, Dragon Con. Yeah. And I didn't know it was gonna be there. So when I came out of Oh, damn. And all these people would add and Ghostbusters and everything. I'm like, What the hell's going on here, man? Isn't that the funniest thing that watching those people walk around the town? They're They're scared. They are very serious about that. I mean, night after night. I was there two or three nights and I never saw him out of character. You know, did you have conventioneers come to your show? Did you do a movie adaptation of your life is in production. Besides you of course, who would be best cast in the lead role as you ah, who would be best cast and lead role as me? Ah, let me see who didn't take themselves so seriously. I don't know Don Cheadle if he had a personality. Don, you had a professional career before you were a stand up? Comedian, correct? Yeah. Okay. And for the purposes of our discussion, I am calling it that. How many of the characteristics that made you successful as a pre comic professional, translated into making you also A successful comedian. If I can borrow from some of the corny politicians on the news, that is a great question. And the answer is overwhelmingly, my minor league baseball career contributor contributed great. I've always been a proponent of sports in that. It exposes you to people who may or may not think like you, in certain instances. But it's very clear that you all have the same goal in mind. So I played with some guys that that were not, uh, had no cultural experience with the likes of me and vice versa. But we all played together and have to live in with those guys and traveling with those guys. You know, you laugh with the guys, you know, you go through different things that they experienced in their personal lives and vice versa. And you find common ground I mean, you all did to win, you know, in the minors. Everybody's trying to get to the major leagues, you know, the announcer The umpires, the guy singing national anthem once the national anthem for the major leagues. The bus driver wants to drive the bus for the big leaguers. You know, I mean, but you've come together. And then I mean, invariably, in spite of your differences, you know, you you you key in on this human aspect, man. And I think that allowed me to, it allowed me to be more universal in a story without without abandoning what I deemed to be where I come from, which is, which is fine. My perspective. All right, that's a excellent stopping place for this first segment here of the podcast. We're gonna be back with more of comedian Don DC curry. I am Jamie Bendele. For Adam and Jamie, don't go too far. We will be back with more of the podcast right after this. Do you guys ever have a nickname growing up? Yep, I did. Are you willing to disclose that nickname? I am on my baseball team. They called me a cat because I was super slow. And they call me fast like the cat. Look at El Gato. His reflexes are incredible. When you first were called Elgato did you take it as I did? And then I do pretty much and the funny thing is the Elgato name came out of an incredibly bad baseball play that I made and it was slow to move the ball and the coach who came out of the minor leagues actually was very funny and he said, We shall name him el gato for his quick reflexes. And then did you have anything I did? I will not disclose because I have managed to avoid it and I will continue to avoid it. For years. My nickname is bummer. Your nickname was bummer. Where did that come from bomber Bendel bomber. That was the nickname. Okay, so what is because you weren't fun to be around? I don't know. And you know who gave me that nickname? My parents. Oh, wow. Yeah, seriously. That's when your parents are giving you the hint that you were kind of a surprise. That was my brother. Whoops. You were the first child. We're gonna we're gonna live this great life. Oh, I never actually even ever asked him where it came from. But I just always that's what they call me. Yes, you got a bummer. You got el gato and you got no not to be disclosed. Alright, maybe once the guest we are back now for a second segment here of this episode with comedian Don DC courage Jamie Bendele Jamie Hernan Adam Haig. It is of our cast Don. In this segment, we go a little more in depth to some of the things that we touched on in the first segment. And so I will open the floor to Jamie and Adam to start where they would like to with some follow up. All right, I got one going right. So you were talking about baseball and how all the people in the minor leagues are trying to get to the majors. And I think that's generally true, but I think it would be more fun to be a mascot in the minors than the majors. The math gods want to get you the majors to I'm telling you and I want to get it's about the money, right? The No, it's not the money. It's the stage. It's the prestige and it's the money right? I bet you I know that that crawdad in North Carolina is not making any Oh yeah. And and the two go hand in hand you know, don't you think gritty could get away with more in minor league hockey than and I'm here to tell you everybody in that field is looking for that next lead the umpires the ball girls. So, the field crew wants to be the field crew. That's right. Good. new grads wants to cut the grass. Ah. That's right. He was so there. Okay. But I do think though, if you took that analogy, Shouldn't that be the case in every pursuit. Right? So and by that, I mean, isn't the biggest danger in life when you stop trying to pursue the next level? I say, No, no, no. Yeah, I agree. I think it every once in a while you find contentment where you are. And that's probably, you know, that's where you find peace. And that's where you find you know, life. Being that contentment is, can be a beautiful thing. I get your good example, James, I have a career, basically a club career, I do some concerts here and there. I don't wish for the, the strictly concert life. Now I'm not selling myself short. But I actually enjoy the intimacy, the intimacy, of clubs, and the relaxed atmosphere more than I enjoy the concerts where it's, it's a presentation you up and you down, and you don't really feel the people not that I'm into a whole lot of interacting or improv. But I don't think that I've sold myself short. By now I still I tried to be the best comic that I can be. Yeah. But I don't loan for 10,000 people in an audience every night. That doesn't excite me. I think now, you know, Jamie, when you and I were back in the day coming up, there was no social media like it is today, right. And as far as development as an artist, as far as developing as a comic, the repetitions are necessary, the small venues are necessary, but what has happened, if I may say so is because of social media, there have been some people who have been able to bypass that developmental stage. And so you show up to see them by the hundreds of by the 1000s. And very few people that I am interacted with, have thought that the shows by the quote unquote, social media, comics now have been worth it. Yeah, there are a few, we talked a little bit about that before done and on this show and said, it's interesting, where if you have a comic, who kind of has put in some time, then gets successful on social media, like blows up on social media, and then does shows those guys are kind of the dream combination, because they actually did you know, they're getting the big audience, but they also knew enough to kind of get the honest, but it's the kids that, you know, just found out that they were funny within their tweets and in their tic TOCs. And then they go on to do a big show, and it flops because they don't have that set 30 Or that set hour that the show flops, or is that the table of comics at the back. They're the ones who can see that there's, you know, a show is questionable? Well, I think it's both I think that the audience, so the audience sometimes want us come and see something in real life. Right. So they, they see somebody on a television screen, they see somebody on a movie screen, they listen to somebody's podcast, or watch their videos, and they say I want to see this person in person. It's almost like going to the circus, right? It's or a museum or something, you're seeing something that's on almost that's on a display. experiential standpoint. So this is what I think is what I think is going to be the telltale. Right now, I would say since the big surgence of social media made stars, quote unquote, I think this is still the first stage, the first year or two where those guys have done big shows. Now what's gonna be interesting is the next two or three years to see if the people that have showed up that have shown up to see them in masses would pay to see them again, right. So the longevity of their careers is what, uh, is what I'm interested in. Seeing. Yeah. So how are those comics? The social media comics, how are they are the social media stars? How are they received in the green room? Are that back table? They don't ever go. Yeah. And other comedians, let them know that. Yeah. But I'm not mad at the guys, but I think it's evident that they haven't done you know, I'm pushing 11,000 shows back in those days. Jamie, you remember if you got a gig to do a club, and course the times were different, but you know, you went in you did a 10 year show. Yeah. In a week. Yeah. Right. I think in the first first calendar year that I was from the time I did my first open mic a year later, I had done something close to 200 sets. Wow. Yeah. And it makes a difference right now and that pace picked up the following year. There were more sets there was more stuff. And, Jamie I want you to know to it those first two or three shows you do I was the one that was laughing You were the one guy. Yeah. Back. He was like, Look, I will Yeah, I have i i actually have a cassette tape or to have recordings that I made from, from the old comedy act. From the old comedy I still, I still have those cassette tapes. And mini cassettes. I got a few of those. I bet. I bet I can find you on some of them. Could be and I have all those old sheets from the legal pad that I used to hand out to the Fed. Yeah, I still have I still have all I still have all that stuff. Anyway. All right, we're gonna take a break from this one. We are going to be back with more with our guests with Don DC curry here on the podcast in just a moment do you ever have show cancellation fear when you're watching a show and it's first season? Never. Oh, sometimes I do where I've committed to like, watch a show for a couple and I'm like, oh, man, I really liked the show. It's fun, but I know that I already heard it was gonna be canceled for season two. So I'm not really I sometimes feel that way about a movie and I know it's not gonna get made into a sequel. Or like, why am I investing in this franchise? Right? Especially when they leave it as it's supposed to be a sequel in its own right. Like I knew going into it. There is going to be no Titanic to write. Why am I committing to even go I am even watching it. Do you ever get upset when there's a movie that should just be one but they clearly leave some loose ends to leave open the possibility of a sequel like air but this should have been just one or you. But you knew they were gonna make him play all the other sports and go to space space buddies. Space buddies. Their movie called Space buddies. Oh, there's Is there a movie called space? Space buddies? Easter buddies. 100% On Rotten Christmas buddies. Seriously? Yeah. And who are the buddies? They're just Puppies of the original. But seriously, yeah. Interesting. This is so cliche, but it still makes me laugh sometimes that there is no like your bud. Cat alternative. Like they never get the cat to play basketball cat sitting in the director's chair saying what? Yeah, no, I'm not getting in front of camera. Go play basketball, right? Like so. There we go. labradar. Okay, so now one thing, guys. I take that back because Garfield was pretty successful. Wow. And he's also a cartoon. Yeah. Not to say that, but is a real person. Because he too is a fictional character, but just played by a live dog. So make any sense kind of brain hurts. What would be interesting is take things that are not supposed to be athletes. Like for example, the Pope and what if it was like Air Bud? But it was the pope who was like the pope playing basketball and then it's the Kremlin. You had like different members of the Kremlin. You say like Kremlin is the team that's playing the Pope. Yeah, I feel like Putin is saying we got skins Oh, Putin would definitely be shirtless, right? Yeah, yeah. Second lightning round about to start now. This is the podcast Jamie Bendele Jamie Hearn and Adam Hague, our guest comedian actor we are now to our second of the Lightning Rounds we give our guests the opportunity would you like clockwise or counterclockwise or clockwise Lego running the basis counter clockwise this time starting with Adam Okay, so we're gonna stay in that sports realm with my question. And I love what you were saying in the in the first segment about the fact that the funniest you know that you develop your comedy by spending time with your sports and those moments for me when I was on a travel team, were some of the you know, I learned more about girls and about funny than I knew you know, from any other source from those those words. But what do you think on those bus rides and those traveling? Which sport do you think has the funniest guys is it baseball? Is it football? Is it basketball? Which one do you Where's hockey? And which one do you think is the least funny? Or we're leaving out soccer? Yeah, we're leaving that soccer. I would think baseball baseball funniest. Yeah, more time to tell you know, you're in there guy. You got more time to make so many games, right. Somebody's game so many nights on a bus? Yeah. Yeah. Which one do you think is the least funny of those? Those guys? You know, Bruce Smith was a good friend of mine when he was when he was approaching. Oh, time sack record in the last days of his career. Yeah. I was traveling with him for a few games waiting on him to break the record. You know, in fact, I asked him just to give it up. Because you know, he was getting old. They were making him dance like every play. You know, I'd be on the sideline complimenting him. It's like every play you can hear him saying to the young guys, young man is that necessary? is a wonderful career to hell to hell with this record, man, he finally broke it. But when I tell you just from the pleasure of meeting his guests on the sidelines, the football guys yeah, guys crazy, man. I mean, they are crazy. You know, I actually in high school I played hockey too. So I know the hockey players are crazy, too. But the football guy I mean, the guys are like, it's frightening. Okay, they're scary. Less than a you know, you guys live boxing out of that mix. You think they're funny? Boxers. Boxers are cool. Kuku Yeah. So I don't watch a lot of the MMA and I and I watched probably less boxing than I did at a different time in my life. But I'm always fascinated by the idea that in that sport, your retirement is thrust upon you. Right, right. Like there is no like, Oh, I do this for another three. Bam. Okay, I am retired. Or I don't have an arm anymore. No. It's in you may. Yeah. You know, but is it good luck? Chicken? Chicken, yes. Dum Dum. Mm, yeah. But it's just a crazy, you know, it's just such a peculiar patient. That's how they should set it up. There should be one match on every card. That is two fighters who should be retiring. And they're not competing for a belt, but they get a very nice gold watch. This match. By the way, the guy who gets to retire he's the guy who wins. Who loses no back fighting until he can win over time. Most most sports I think I could do not that I could do them professionally. But I think that I could do boxing is one that I just know, just from simple moments where I just happen to bump my head and it ruins my day. You know, you just hit your head on the doorframe or, or wherever. Yeah, I am so excited. Do you think you can do sports? All those sports? Not I'm saying get a professional. You think you can play hockey? Okay, play hockey. can you escape? Okay, well played. street hockey man, street hockey. I so this is a true story. I grew up I never learned how to skate on hockey skates. I learned how to ice skate and figure skating right. Okay. And so not right. I don't understand why why your parents would do that. I just, I just that's how I learned how to Okay, goalies never saw coming when you did the 360. Nice spin slap shot. Okay, it's gonna hit it. I would actually be fine in hockey. I would just use those little Walker things. They have ice skating right? Oh my goodness. They don't. So I think I actually MMA boxing and hockey you could do I could do Hockey. We're gonna go play hockey. Yeah, you're done. Did you already ask a question? I think, okay, of the four major operations of arithmetic, addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, which is the most overrated subtraction. Agreed? Agreed? Yeah. I'd like to subtract that question. Let's ask the question. Yeah, it is staying actually, I have a much more intellectual question. He does about losing stuff. But if you never had anything you never lose. Anyway, he would have beautiful athletes. He lost millions. He loves millions where he hated to lose. And so my backup intellectual question is, what would you name your pet elephant? wobbles? That's a good answer, though. Is that a trick question? My girlfriend's I just hope you don't have any girlfriend. Girlfriend, a boss. That's a little bit of an elephant after my question to you is this talk to me about the satisfaction that comes from growing something out of your land on a farm? You know, it's a it's a feeling you accomplished it? But really, you just nurtured it. You weren't responsible you planted a seed or whatever, which you didn't produce you got there from somewhere else or you plant a plant you got from some ways you planted in God's earth, which is not yours. But the nurturing part. You did is this like adopting a child and it turned out okay, you know, I get a kick out of just seeing, you know, I get weight most of my crops away. But just when I've got food that I produced, that I can actually consume, it's a hobby to me and it does something to me, man. Yeah. So my question is going to be followed on that. What is your favorite crop to grow and which crop Do you hate? Like which crop is the Satan crop? Right, and which is your favorite crop? After grow my favorite and probably the easiest one I've had most success with has been my variety of tomatoes. Lovely. Lovely. I got the big tomatoes, I got little tomatoes. I got the cherry tomatoes, I got the elongated Italian tomatoes. I love fried green tomato man, I am the tomato king of Georgia. I love that. You know, that's one of those things that the tomato is one of those things that you know if you can get it from a real farmer versus in the supermarket. It is a totally different fruit. Okay, so next Friday was released January 12 2000. And it was the number one movie that day. Well, number two movie that day was The Green Mile. Starring the late great Michael Clarke Duncan. Yeah, who is your favorite actor or actress that uses three names. It uses three names. See? That has got to be one of the hardest. I gotta think literally sitting here trying to think like especially when you give us one guy one guy just trying to figure I can't think of a single actor with three names. DC curry. I know man that is a tough question man. Yeah Do you have an I would like to hear some alternate three named actor Yeah, let's fire this let's flip this around. Give me any other three named or just two that's not my job. Exactly. You put our guests we got plenty of time I can answer that question and boom it's right there. Yeah, understand we are hosts isn't the Doogie Howser guys. See three names. Neil. Patrick Harris. Yes. There you go. All right. We got one big man. Sure. Yeah, so here is my question is if you're going to make a mixtape or a playlist that was supposed to be romantic in nature to its intended recipient, what is the anchor song that you believe best conveys that sentiment? Let's now hit the road Jack and don't come back. No Mo was that there's no better answer. Alright. But my question is, I'm gonna stay with that farm because you got me interested in that farm now. First, you had me with the minor league baseball. Now you got me with the farm? Is there any crop you've never tried that you want to try that you are maybe you're not in the right climate to grow, but you'd like to grow it? And then the other last question is, how do I get some of those tomatoes? Because you give most crops away, so I gotta put my first answer to the first question is Licata CBD. Yeah, how do you go the CBD? I've never tried that. And I'm making tomatoes available to you Jamie. I got man I have all the tomatoes man. Come tomato season. You're gonna be hearing from Jamia. Yeah. tomatoes and eggs. Oh, ladies at church love me, man. I bet they do. Alright, is there anything that we left off that you'd like to include from a otherwise perspective? Do we have we left on the Miller doc? I did. That was terrible. Yeah, I got a phone call from him. I was before he died. Oh, I got a phone call from John Witherspoon the day before he died. Oh, when you called me I actually kind of be careful. Next 48 hours follow him home tonight. I'll follow him home. I don't think I don't somebody's calling you to follow up on the tomatoes though. So where will people find you social media online on the road? Where will they find you? Instagram is DC dot curvy. dot 18. Okay, Facebook is Don DC curry. Nice. We'll put links in our bio with to those things. You've always been a favorite to watch on stage and I am old enough to admit. I love you man. Yeah, it's always good seeing Yeah, and I always love love you man watching you work. Thanks, buddy. You got it, man. Thanks. Thanks again to Don DC curry for Jamie Jamie and Adam. This has been a nother compelling episode of the podcast. Dakka Dakka. Fires getting low. This episode of the podcast is over domna gold now. Your Back Door your team will call you back. It's time for another podcast.