has never played Denver’s revered stand-up institution , but when he was performing at an area college he stopped by there to see buddy turn in a set.
“I loved the little I saw that day,” Holmes, 33, told us via e-mail last week. “And my good friend is from Denver (YEEEEAHHH! DENVER!) so if he can be trusted there will be a lot of day drinking and people quoting ‘Yogi Bear 3D.'”
We can’t vouch for the “Yogi Bear 3D,” but we’ll give two enthusiastically dehydrated thumbs up to the day drinking. And we can only hope Holmes will restrain himself from too much of it when he’s here today (Thursday, June 21) through Sunday, June 24 to finally headline Comedy Works.
You may know Holmes from his stints on VH1’s “Best Week Ever” as well as a writer (and voice actor) for “Ugly Americans” and the E*Trade Baby commercials. But don’t hold that last one against him. Really, you should check out his album which was extremely well reviewed upon its release late last year — and rightfully so.
Holmes is also a busy podcaster with the Nerdist network and an occasional cartoonist for The New Yorker, so maybe you should give him something else to do before he gets bored?
As a cartoonist and writer, can you envision a scenario in which you’d be satisfied always being behind the scenes? What makes you want to be on stage?
Haaaa, no. I know that about myself now. Performers are very frustrated behind the scenes and if I end up back behind them, I hope it’s my own scenes I’m behind. Writing or especially drawing cartoons takes me away from the direct interaction with the audience, which is what I love most.
I know you’ve also been a story editor and writer for some sitcoms (“Outsourced,” “I Hate My Teenage Daughter”). Whatap the biggest misconception about writing for them? The benefits/drawbacks?
It’s great fun! It really is. You’re working with funny, smart, wonderful people and making each other laugh. Common misconceptions are questions like, “Which character do you write for?” I got that one a lot. (Everyone writes their own script and for each character. No one wrote just Kramer lines on “Seinfeld,” for example).
How do you stay excited for each new episode of your podcast (“You Made It Weird”)? What have been your favorite moments/guests? I know you’ve had some killer ones on there (Sarah Silverman, Judd Apatow, Doug Benson, Bill Burr).
Haaaa. Great question. I can operate at that level for a couple hours a day, no problem. Sometimes people see me out and think I’m ALWAYS bursting with joy, which isn’t true, of course. I have to save it up some times and use it during the recording. I’ll often not talk to anyone all morning before I record. That, plus genuine enthusiasm for the guest, equals a pretty palpable enthusiasm. But that’s not always the case (the not talking part). I just like talking to these people! Seeing where it goes! Once you have a good one, the excitement of that feeling will make you chase it with the next guest, and so on.
It’s become a cliché on the show that I love all the episodes, but it’s true. My favorite is always the last one we did. Depending on what people are looking for, I suggest different episodes. Because she’s not famous, I often suggest Emily Gordon because that episode was amazing and not many people know about it.
If you were to place yourself between two well-known comedians (not literally — although that could be interesting too) who would they be?
I’ll tell you what I’m going for — somewhere between Steve Martin and Louis C.K. — but good lord who could say they’ve hit that mark. That’s what I’m aiming for. If I could hit anywhere near those two, I’d be happy. just (Martin’s) silliness mixed with (C.K.’s) honesty.
I saw you at the on “The Humor Code” panel and you gave the authors a pretty good ribbing. Do you think itap possible to scientifically understood or locate what makes things funny?
Not entirely. An analogy I wanted to make at that show but forgot was that comedy is a lot like sex. It really is. And you could measure, quantify and study all the things that are “happening” during sex and chart them out and “explain” them, but there are so many x-factors. Scientifically, our bodies are doing certain things, heart rate, etc., but there’s no accounting for how someone smells or how their haircut reminds you of a summer you spent in Cape Cod. And the same with comedy. A guy gets on stage and you like him already. Or hate him. And he wins you over. Or doesn’t. Because of HOW he or she speaks. Or moves. Or something in their eyes. There’s no measuring that stuff, and thank god. There has to be magic somewhere, thank you. (Oh, and you can write your own joke about how comedy and sex are similar, I can’t do everything. Maybe something about how they “often disappoint” or are “better when drunk.” This is up to you, the reader. You can do it!)
And now, some standard “Why So Serious?” questions: What was your first time on stage like and what made you want to come back?
It was an exhilarating cocktail of fear and direct affirmation peppered with failures. Kind of like a Mai Tai! I wanted to come back before I did it the first time. I didn’t go with the attitude of “Let’s try this” as much as “I suck right now but I know deep down this is for me.”
Do you ever get used to the traveling life? What are some things you to do stay sane on the road?
Bring friends! That’s the best thing to do. I’ve been bringing great comedian friends like Chris Thayer, Sean O’Connor and Andy Haynes with me. But even traveling alone has its perks. It’s nice to every once in a while have a day to yourself, completely. And I don’t travel enough alone to have it be a problem. But touring with friends is pretty much heaven.
When was the last time you laughed so hard you cried?
Perfect! On the road! With friends! Chris Thayer sang a Bob Seger song in its entirety just a LITTLE out of his range so he had to scream. Tears were streaming down my face as I drove with one hand and filmed with the other. It’s a wonder we’re alive! back there somewhere…
Whatap the worst thing you’ve ever felt bad laughing about?
Nothing. I laugh at terrible, terrible things all the time. Just awful. Laughter can be a great coping mechanism, and great reaction to just absurd sadness, especially when we’re powerless. I don’t do dark jokes on stage, but I love them and enjoy them off. They’re just not my main kind of humor. But I don’t feel bad about anything that makes me laugh, I guess apart from just downright cruel mockery of someone who absolutely doesn’t deserve it.
Whatap your favorite joke of the moment (yours of someone else’s)?
Ha. Kind of going back to the travel question. My friend John Mulaney has this line: “I’ve been traveling a lot lately, travel can be lonely. No wait, I said that wrong. Life. Life can be lonely.”
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John Wenzel is an A&E reporter and blogs editor for The Denver Post. Follow him and .
