I Guess I’ll Do It with Pat House

Reena Calm

Hilarious comic and fellow National Park enthusiast, Reena Calm joins me for a great chat. Reena is a true road dog; I don’t know anyone who hustles harder. From Connecticut to Chicago to Alaska and everywhere in between, Reena is CONSTANTLY on the road. We talk about the random and crazy, observations you find on long car rides, photography, and hitting National Parks and we chat about her upcoming album!Pat House is a nationally-touring comedian based out of Philadelphia. A regular performer in comedy clubs, casinos, and theaters all over the country, Pat has been a choice opener for Sebastian Maniscalco, Tom Segura, and Dan Cummins. He recorded his first album Biggest Thing in 2013, and his latest album Heard Enough Yesterday, hit #1 on the iTunes comedy charts. Both can be heard on iTunes, Amazon, and Pandora.Reena Calm was made in Israel and raised near Boston. Obsessed with comedy she moved to Chicago, and has made a name for herself as a favorite in one of the best comedy cities in the world. She's become one of the most respected and requested comedians in the Midwest, and is now a nationally touring headliner.Reena’s material is autobiographical, silly, and charmingly inappropriate, pulling from a lifetime of questionable choices.Speaking of questionable choices, she is currently the only woman in America who lives on the road as a full-time stand up comedian. Living out of a tricked out Prius, this pun-slinger travels the country on her signature #Calmedy tours. She's on a mission to make people laugh in all 50 States (just a few left to go).She's opened for legends like Arsenio Hall, Laurie Kilmartin, and Eddie Pepitone, to name a few. Reena has been a frequent guest on WGN Radio, was on the Doug Loves Movies podcast, and was named Comic of The Week on The Jackie & Laurie Show. She recently recorded her first "CALMEDY" album with Helium Comedy Records, to be released later this year. Check out her book “Once A Pun A Time…Legend of a Sighs Queen” on Amazon. Reena’s been called "a one woman punk band of a comedian" by Jeff Bailey, "everything comedy should be" by Sam Tallent, one of "the best independent comics in the country" by Clearwater Comedy, “also terrific” by the Chicago Tribune, and “NOT a disappointment” by her mother. She hopes to do a show in your town soon, and would love to sleep in your finest parking lot. Follow her on Instagram for pictures of her #ViewnitedStates travels @ReenaCalm.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Chip Chantry

One of my first friends in comedy, Chip Chantry, joins me on this episode. Chip and I have a lot of similarities between our childhoods, comedy interests, and our careers. We chat about his very first time doing stand-up (opening for his brother's band), our early days in the Philly scene, how Philly comedy has evolved and we each work on a new bit. We also talk about the television masterpiece, Strangers With Candy, because half of our conversations are about that show anyways. Pat House is a nationally-touring comedian based out of Philadelphia. A regular performer in comedy clubs, casinos, and theaters all over the country, Pat has been a choice opener for Sebastian Maniscalco, Tom Segura, and Dan Cummins. He recorded his first album Biggest Thing in 2013, and his latest album Heard Enough Yesterday, hit #1 on the iTunes comedy charts. Both can be heard on iTunes, Amazon, and Pandora.Chip Chantry is a stand-up comedian and television writer. He has written for Crazy Talk, a comedy/talk series for NBC Universal and the syndicated series Whacked Out Sports. He most recently wrote on the NatGeo series Howie Mandel’s Animals Doing Things. Chip was the winner of 2013’s Philly’s Phunniest Contest at Helium Comedy Club, where he was a regular performer. Chip also won the “Funniest Comedian” award in Philadelphia’s annual Comedy Awards in both 2012 and 2014 and was named Best Comedian 2018 by Philadelphia Magazine. Chip is a recurring guest on the Doug Loves Movies and Todd Glass Show Podcasts.Formerly a 4th-grade teacher, Chip left the classroom to pursue comedy and writing. He has opened for national headliners such as Dave Chappelle, Bob Saget, and Tig Notaro. In 2012, he released his first live comedy album, ACROSS FROM THE ADONIS. His second album, SWINGERS PARTY, was released in March 2019, where it spent time at #1 on the iTunes comedy charts and is currently in rotation on SiriusXM. Chip has written and performed in a number of live and video sketches, including “Deck the Hall and Oates” which VH1.com called “one of the best parodies of the year” in 2011. He also wrote and produced the monthly late night style talk shows FACE TIME w/ CHIP CHANTRY, and GOOD EVENING w/ CHIP CHANTRY at Helium Comedy Club, as well as the monthly comedy-variety program, CHIP CHANTRY’S ONE‐MAN SHOW (w/ special guests!), at the Philly Improv Theater. He also hosted and co-produced LECTURE HALL, an educational comedy variety show, with a middle-school assembly format. Most recently, he has partnered with his brother Adam, a planetarium director, to produce The Funny Thing About the Sky, a comedic, multi-media astronomy presentation. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jill Maragos

Jill Maragos is my latest guest and we got into it! And by into it, I mean the nuts and bolts of jokes and joke writing. Why do descriptive words enhance jokes? What’s her separation between journals and notebooks for jokes? Why hasn’t anything from her journal gone into her joke notebook?? We delve into all of this and talk about her career from entertaining her family as a child, comedy classes, working the road, and her upcoming album!Pat House is a nationally-touring comedian based out of Philadelphia. A regular performer in comedy clubs, casinos, and theaters all over the country, Pat has been a choice opener for Sebastian Maniscalco, Tom Segura, and Dan Cummins. He recorded his first album Biggest Thing in 2013, and his latest album Heard Enough Yesterday, hit #1 on the iTunes comedy charts. Both can be heard on iTunes, Amazon, and Pandora.Jill Maragos grew up in Buffalo, NY where she earned Bachelor's Degrees in Broadcast Journalism and Mechanical Engineering. She developed her sense of humor while surviving her crazy family (an actual professional would probably call it a ‘coping mechanism’). Although she herself is not a professional therapist/counselor, she is very much a survivor of it. She is a nationally touring Stand-Up Comic working regularly with Greg Proops (Whose Line is it Anyway? – ABC) and Tom Papa (Co-Host of What a Joke with Papa and Fortune – SiriusXM). She lives in Memphis with her husband, Matt, and her two dogs, Oscar and Ernie.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Christy McCaffery

Writer, producer, and podcaster Christy McCaffrey joins me on this episode and we have a great discussion about creativity. We went to high school together but didn’t become friends until our 30s, and now we’re constantly chatting about writing and podcasts. From journaling, setting goals, and public speaking, we cover all the bases about creativity and the beauty of writing. BONUS: Her Bob Saget story is one for the record books! (See, I have to bring stand-up into it SOMEHOW!) Christy and Bob had a close bond with her non-profit, Project Scleroderma, where they collaborated many times over the years at various events and projects. Pat House is a nationally-touring comedian based out of Philadelphia. A regular performer in comedy clubs, casinos, and theaters all over the country, Pat has been a choice opener for Sebastian Maniscalco, Tom Segura, and Dan Cummins. He recorded his first album Biggest Thing in 2013, and his latest album Heard Enough Yesterday, hit #1 on the iTunes comedy charts. Both can be heard on iTunes, Amazon, and Pandora.About Christy McCaffery: I am a wife, mom to 3, nonprofit director, speaker, podcast host, and writer/producer born and raised just outside of Philadelphia, PA, where I live and work today.​After losing my mom in 2009 to a rare incurable autoimmune disease called scleroderma, I found myself reeling in grief and with a desire to create a more meaningful impact for others as part of my healing. Through my grieving process, as I unraveled the complicated layers of pain, I discovered a more authentic space within myself that was longing to show up and make a positive impact in the world.​This path of self-discovery ultimately led me to the work I now do. I came to realize my own potential to do good and drive impact that could cause a ripple effect of good for others. Along the way learning how to show up as my truest self and to live a life of authenticity.​In 2011 I created a nonprofit, called Project Scleroderma, in honor of my mom and in service to the patient community who suffers from this life-altering illness, Scleroderma. Project Scleroderma produces documentary videos and films, highlighting the stories of patients living with this illness all over the world, in an effort to dramatically increase the level of awareness for scleroderma.​I have also since gone on to create and host a podcast called "Be The Good", with a conversation that focuses on the good being done by a diverse group of guests, each of who are working in their own unique way to make a difference in the world.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Chris Porter

Do Chris Porter and I enjoy playing guitar more than we enjoy doing comedy? (The answer is yes.) Did we both discover stand-up comedy in Kansas? (That’s another yes!)Chris and I chat about comedy, music, meeting your heroes and Chris shared a few memories of working with Mitch Hedberg. We’re back! Do it up!Pat House is a nationally-touring comedian based out of Philadelphia. A regular performer in comedy clubs, casinos, and theaters all over the country, Pat has been a choice opener for Sebastian Maniscalco, Tom Segura, and Dan Cummins. He recorded his first album Biggest Thing in 2013, and his latest album Heard Enough Yesterday, hit #1 on the iTunes comedy charts. Both can be heard on iTunes, Amazon, and Pandora.Chris Porter is best known for his 3rd place appearance on season 4 of NBC's Last Comic Standing and his one-hour special 'Ugly & Angry' that was one of Netflix's top rated specials for three years, you may also know this Kansas City native from his very own Comedy Central Presents special, his comedy albums 'Lost & Alone' and 'Screaming From the Cosmos', his appearances on Tommy Chong's Comedy @ 420 on Showtime, the Arsenio Hall show, Comedy.TV, or your favorite local comedy club.Chris Porter is a simple man in a complicated world where dudes send pictures of their genitalia to women and burgers have a backstory. Born and raised in Kansas City, Chris brings a true stand-up experience to his live shows. There are no sound cues, no puppets, and no catch phrases. Just gut wrenching laughter drawn from his own experience and observations.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Mike Vecchione’s First Time

Mike Vecchione is another fantastic comic that was great to me in my early days. He did such a nice thing for me 15 years ago, I still think about it to this day, and I remind him of that kind deed. We both worked The Laff House early in our careers and we both share some stories from there. Mike tells his most recent bombing story and we talk about his move from Philly to New York City, and the grind that comes along with moving to the comedy Mecca of the world. Pat House is a nationally-touring comedian based out of Philadelphia. A regular performer in comedy clubs, casinos, and theaters all over the country, Pat has been a choice opener for Sebastian Maniscalco, Tom Segura, and Dan Cummins. He recorded his first album Biggest Thing in 2013, and his latest album Heard Enough Yesterday, hit #1 on the iTunes comedy charts. Both can be heard on iTunes, Amazon, and Pandora.Mike Vecchione is an Italian-American comedian and actor whose stand-up has been described as “rapid-fire delivery, swiftly moving from joke to joke and hitting his punch lines like a boxer working a speed bag.” Mike has made numerous appearances on The Tonight Show, Comedy Central, Netflix, SiriusXM and more. Based in New York City, Mike headlines all across America as well as internationally.In 2020, Mike will appear on the big screen alongside Pete Davidson in the Judd Apatow-directed movie The King of Staten Island. Mike will also appear on Netflix’s The Iliza Shlesinger Sketch Show.In 2019, Mike appeared on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon for the third time and had numerous appearances on Comedy Central’s This Week At The Comedy Cellar.In 2018, Mike appeared on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon for a second time, did Montreal’s Just For Laughs for a third time, and released his second comedy album, The Worst Kind of Thoughtful which was named comedy album of the year by Vulture and SiriusXM.In 2017, Mike appeared on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon and in two episodes of TruTV’s Comedy Knockout.In 2015, Mike appeared on Conan on TBS and Inside Amy Schumer.In 2014, Mike appeared on Comedy Underground with Dave Attell on Comedy Central, was again a semi-finalist on NBC’s Last Comic Standing and Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen. He also released his first comedy album, Muscle Confusion.In 2010, Mike won the People’s Choice Award for the New York Comedy Festival, was a semi-finalist on NBC’s Last Comic Standing, and was selected to perform at the prestigious Montreal Comedy Festival (New Faces). Later that year, Mike went on to perform on the Tonight Show starring Jay Leno and shot his own Half Hour Special for Comedy Central.At the end of 2003, Mike moved to New York City. He has appeared on Comedy Centrals Live at Gotham, Comedy Centrals Fresh Face Debates, and Russell Simmons Presents: Stand Up at the El Rey Theatre. Mike also had a guest appearance on the IFC hit show Z Rock.Mike Vecchione was born in Youngstown, Ohio, and graduated High School in Boca Raton, Florida. He played football and placed second in the 1991 AAA state wrestling tournament. He attended Pennsylvania State University where he earned a bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice and went on to receive a Master’s degree in Special Education from Cabrini College in Pennsylvania. Mike has worked as a counselor and Special Education teacher in the Philadelphia area.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Greg Fitzsimmons First Time

No BS, Greg Fitzsimmons has been one of my favorite comics since I was in high school, and having him on was an absolute blast. We talk about his early days in the tough Boston scene, watching Hedberg bomb, performing at the AVN awards and I tell him my favorite jokes I’ve watched him do over the years. Hands down, this episode is one of my favorites. Pat House is a nationally-touring comedian based out of Philadelphia. A regular performer in comedy clubs, casinos, and theaters all over the country, Pat has been a choice opener for Sebastian Maniscalco, Tom Segura, and Dan Cummins. He recorded his first album Biggest Thing in 2013, and his latest album Heard Enough Yesterday, hit #1 on the iTunes comedy charts. Both can be heard on iTunes, Amazon, and Pandora.Mixing an incisive wit with scathing sarcasm, Greg Fitzsimmons has achieved success as a stand-up, an Emmy Award winning writer, and host on TV, radio and his own podcast. Greg is host of the hugely popular FitzDog Radio podcast and The Greg Fitzsimmons Show, on SiriusXM’s "Howard 101”. A regular with Conan O’Brien and Jimmy Kimmel, Greg has made more than 50 visits to The Howard Stern Show.Greg’s one-hour standup special, Life On Stage, was named a Top 10 Comedy Release of 2013 by LA Weekly. The special premiered on Comedy Central and is now available as a CD, DVD and download. Greg’s 2011 book, Dear Mrs. Fitzsimmons, climbed the best-seller charts and garnered outstanding reviews from NPR and Vanity Fair. Greg was recently seen in the hit Netflix series, Santa Clarita Diet, he co-starred on the Emmy-winning FX series Louie, spent five years as a panelist on VH1’s Best Week Ever, hosted Pumped on The Speed Channel in 2012 and he starred in two half-hour stand-up specials on Comedy Central.Greg is currently writing (and appearing) on the hit Judd Apatow HBO series, Crashing. Writing credits include HBO’s Lucky Louie, Cedric the Entertainer Presents, Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher, The Man Show and many others. On his mantle beside the four Daytime Emmys he won as a writer and producer on The Ellen DeGeneres Show sit “The Jury Award for Best Comedian” from The HBO Comedy Arts Festival and a Cable Ace Award for hosting the MTV game show "Idiot Savants."See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Eleanor Kerrigan’s First Time

“Richard Pryor called me a bitch!” Born and raised in South Philly before moving to LA, Eleanor Kerrigan was a waitress at The Comedy Store in Los Angeles for twelve years before she tried stand-up. We’ve done some interesting and crazy shows together. From Nick’s Roast Beef in Springfield, PA to theaters with Andrew Dice Clay, we cross paths often and it’s always great to chat. This is a really fun episode. We talk comedy, the road and Eleanor tells MULTIPLE stories of wanting to fight audience members. Pat House is a nationally-touring comedian based out of Philadelphia. A regular performer in comedy clubs, casinos, and theaters all over the country, Pat has been a choice opener for Sebastian Maniscalco, Tom Segura, and Dan Cummins. He recorded his first album Biggest Thing in 2013, and his latest album Heard Enough Yesterday, hit #1 on the iTunes comedy charts. Both can be heard on iTunes, Amazon, and Pandora.Eleanor is the latest in a long line of historically funny women who cut their teeth at the World Famous Comedy Store. Starting out as a waitress there, Eleanor learned the ropes of comedy, all the while making the best comics in the country laugh, in the kitchen of the club. It would take several years and lots of pushing from one of her biggest fans, Andrew Dice Clay, to finally get her to take her comedic talents to the stage. After co-starring with him in “Dice Undisputed”, Dice invited Eleanor to go on the road with him to promote the show. “I’m an actress, not a stand-up!” she replied. After seeing her one-woman show, Andrew would no longer take no for an answer. “You’re hysterical and everyone should know that!” he said, and Eleanor’s been performing stand-up in clubs and theaters around the country ever since.​Her hilarious take on life comes from her unique experiences growing up street-savvy in South Philly, as one of 10 children in a very Irish-Catholic family. She paints an uproarious portrait of her life experiences, beginning with her childhood in a three-bedroom row home and moving to her adventures as an adult living in L.A… Eleanor’s shoot-from-the-hip take on life is both refreshing and exciting. She’s not afraid to give the audience a piece of her mind and they love her for it. Eleanor is also a graduate of the esteemed Joanne Baron and D.W. Brown acting studio in Santa Monica, California, following in the footsteps of acting greats such as Halley Berry and Patrick Dempsey. She’s had audiences rolling as one of the motorcycle riding, pool cue-wielding tag team called “Harley’s Angels” on UPN’s “Women of Wrestling” and has made countless appearances on other major networks such as Nickelodeon, VH1, Howard Stern & HBO.Eleanor Kerrigan is certainly one to watch you can catch her on the last season of Entourage & she will be touring the country with her brazen brand of humor. Don’t miss her!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Brad Williams First Time

Brad Williams and I met 12 years ago during a blizzard in Philadelphia, performing to very small crowds that weekend. Fast forward to 2021. We’ve worked together a ton this year to packed houses, adding extra shows in most cities. Brad’s first time on stage was an unusual one - attending a Carlos Mencia show, Mencia was doing jokes about little people - and the people sitting around Brad were afraid to laugh. Carlos called Brad up on stage, they joked about all of it, and Brad was hooked. From bombing at brutal open-mics to performing in arenas, we discuss his career here!Pat House is a nationally-touring comedian based out of Philadelphia. A regular performer in comedy clubs, casinos, and theaters all over the country, Pat has been a choice opener for Sebastian Maniscalco, Tom Segura, and Dan Cummins. He recorded his first album Biggest Thing in 2013, and his latest album Heard Enough Yesterday, hit #1 on the iTunes comedy charts. Both can be heard on iTunes, Amazon, and Pandora.Brad Williams has become one of the funniest, most in-demand comedians working today. A California native, Brad started doing stand-up at age 19 and has been touring ever since.He has appeared on numerous TV shows including Legit, Dave Attell’s Comedy Underground, Sam and Cat, Live at Gotham, the Tonight Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Mind Of Mencia, and Pitboss.His one-hour comedy special “Fun Size” was the highest-rated comedy special on Showtime in the year 2015. A year later, he followed it up with a 2nd special called “Daddy Issues,” its airing prompted the New York Times to write “no one is doing it more hilariously than Brad Williams.”In addition to stand-up, Brad has become a dynamic on-air personality as well. His podcast “About Last Night” is a mainstay on the iTunes Charts. He is a regular on KROQ’s Kevin and Bean Show in Los Angeles as well as the Adam Carolla podcast.Brad’s show is high energy. Robin Williams called him “Prozac with a head.” Brad’s ability to make humorous observations on disability, relationships, sex, and race are winning over audiences and proving anyone can overcome their shortcomings.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Julia Scotti’s First Time

In only 90 seconds, Julia Scotti blew us away on America’s Got Talent. We talk about just how hard it is to be funny and make an impression in that short amount of time, auditioning for clubs in the 80s, taking a break from comedy and coming back even stronger, and of course, I make her share some horror stories from hell gigs. Pat House is a nationally-touring comedian based out of Philadelphia. A regular performer in comedy clubs, casinos, and theaters all over the country, Pat has been a choice opener for Sebastian Maniscalco, Tom Segura, and Dan Cummins. He recorded his first album Biggest Thing in 2013, and his latest album Heard Enough Yesterday, hit #1 on the iTunes comedy charts. Both can be heard on iTunes, Amazon, and Pandora.Julia is a nationally headlining comedian, former teacher, author, speaker, and woman of transgendered experience. She was a quarter-finalist and fan favorite on season 11 of America’s Got Talent on NBC in 2016. Julia currently has a comedy special on SHOWTIME called "More Women of a Certain Age". Originally from Fairview, New Jersey, for the first 48 years she was better known as comedian Rick Scotti. She toured the country, appearing at venues all over the United States and Canada, both as a headliner in comedy clubs and as an opening act for artists such as Lou Rawls, Chicago, and Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. Julia has appeared on numerous television and radio shows as well as commercials. In 2000, Julia left comedy to begin her life-altering transition, and also to begin her new career as a teacher, where she remained for seven years. She was self-employed for a time, but in 2011, after a ten-year layoff from comedy, Julia returned to the stage. Her new brand of comedy is fierce, honest, and fearless. She has been described as a “force of nature”, “a cross between Sam Kinison and Mrs. Doubtfire”, and like a “chainsaw flying through the room”. Julia was a quarter-finalist on season 11 America’s Got Talent in 2016. She was a judge’s favorite with Simon Cowell saying “you genuinely made me laugh”, and Howie Mandel quoted as saying “you have so much to offer, you are a joy." In 2012, Julia had been named one of the Top Five Transgender Comedians in the country by Advocate Magazine. Since then, she has gone on to become the first transgendered woman and finalist in the New York Based Ladies of Laughter Competition. She has performed at the Boston Comedy Festival, and in 2014 was one of the winners of the Laughlin Laugh Festival in Nevada. Today, you can find Julia performing at comedy clubs and theaters around the country. When she isn’t making people laugh, Julia often speaks at teacher in-services on the subject of bullying and transgendered youth issues.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.