Comedy Means Business

Atsuko Okatsuka On Emulating Lucille Ball, Embracing Inner Weirdo

Atsuko Okatsuka joins host Matt Grobar to discuss her latest special, Father, and the long journey toward trusting what she had to offer as a stand-up. She also talks growing up undocumented in Los Angeles, learning stand-up in a class off Craigslist, performing at the ocean and to the trees in her backyard, her appreciation of recent performances from Justin Bieber that prove “it’s ok to go small,” and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

‘The End’ Of An Era For Ari Shaffir

Ari Shaffir joins Matt Grobar to discuss The End, the culmination of work producing longform comedic storytelling shows that goes back 15 years.. Fresh off seven months off the grid in Latin America, he also reflects on the nomadic lifestyle that’s shaped both his material and his outlook on the business. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Pete Holmes: Reclaiming Show Biz Magic In A New Era

Pete Holmes chats with Matt Grobar about coming up through a version of Hollywood that no longer exists — and how he’s reclaiming that magic on his own terms. Promoting his new special Silly Silly Fun Boy, Holmes reflects on the disappearance of talent incubators that once helped build careers, the importance of mentorship and knowledge-sharing across generations, how he would approach building a stand-up career if he were starting out today, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

David Cross on New Special, Club Comeback, Live Nation Settlement

David Cross speaks to host Matt Grobar about his new special The End of the Beginning of the End, his return to comedy clubs after decades away from that circuit, the impact of the recent Live Nation-Ticketmaster antitrust settlement, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Why Ali Siddiq Is Bypassing Streamers — And Hates Crowd Work

Matt Grobar speaks with comedian Ali Siddiq about his commitment to a direct-to-consumer career where he retains full ownership over his work, a journey that has recently led him to win an NAACP Image Award, becoming the first comic to achieve major awards recognition for an independently produced special. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]