| Download | Duration: 01:05:09

Happy first Wednesday of 2012!  Actually, we don't give a shit; it's just another Wednesday.  What an enthusiastic intro for a podcast, huh?

On today's S&M, we have part one of our two part interview with Troy Conrad to share with your eager ears.  You may not have yet heard of Troy if you're fairly new to the PHX comedy scene, but you're almost certainly hanging ten on waves he helped create here before moving to L.A. to train at UCB and Second City.  That training, melded with an entrepreneurial vision and distaste toward the idiot status quo, has led Troy to fearlessly create such acts as The Comedy Jesus Show, Angry Townhall, and his current pride & joy, an improvised stand-up show wildly popular among comics and international audiences, Set List: Comedy Without a Net.  So prolific is Troy that we had to break this interview into two separate podcasts to temper the avalanches of information that would otherwise snow-in your comedic brain.  Enjoy digging out like you've never enjoyed it before.

Upcoming shows for us:  Sanderson and Marek will be performing the all new material show at the Hidden House on 1/4.  Steve Marek will be performing at Copper Blues and Filmbar on 1/10, while Jamie Sanderson will be in Kansas City, hanging with his old, arthritic, Alzheimer's riddled mama.  Aaaawwww. 

Also, on January 29th the S&M guys will both be performing at the Comedy Spot in Scottsdale. Get advance tickets for the 9pm show at www.TheComedySpot.net

Time for a quick Wednesday morning blog post, then back to the holiday hangover.

For whatever reason, we here at the S&M Comedy Podcast have a tendency, whether unhealthy or not, for setting mental hurdles and roadblocks for ourselves.  It's an inclination for compartmentalisation that has run through our lives, long before we met a decade ago.  We don't really know where it stems from, and that's less important than recognising those self-imposed roadblocks and plowing through them, leaping over them, or simply realising that they're only in our own stupid, self-defeating heads and we can just ignore them as we carry out our day.

You'll be proud of your little S&M Podcasteers this morning, as we handsomely devastated one of those roadblocks just last night at the Lenny Lizzard Birthday Roast at Prankster's Too in Scottsdale.  Neither of us had ever done a roast, and it's safe to say that our long-winded setups and not very "jokey-joke" style of comedy is not well suited to the quick set-up/punch style so frequently showcased by the popular Comedy Central roasts, but we wanted to be a part of Lenny's birthday, regardless of the tremendous cost that our egos may have to pay.

In typical S&M fashion, we did not want to be unprepared, so we did our research on the other performers, scrutinised every word uttered by Jeff Ross and Greg Giraldo on the Comedy Central roasts, and we wrote our asses off for several weeks.  Last night finally came, and before a packed house, we unfurled our formidable comedy cocks and let them sway meatily in the breeze.  We did well, we got heartfelt laughs, we passed out stickers to audience members that weren't aware of the local comedy scene, and we had a genuinely great time.  Most importantly, however, we demolished one of our self-imposed roadblocks and discovered a new skill for writing quick jokes, an ability to churn out eight new minutes under pressure, and a new self-confidence in hurdling our mental hurdles.

Upcoming shows for us:  Both Sanderson and Marek will be at the Icehouse Tavern for Sean McCarthy's 43rd birthday on 12/28/11.  It's not necessarily a roast, but we'll see if we can't slip some digs in there.

This Thursday at Monkey Pants, Anthony Desamito, Dustin Elkin, Jason Marshall, John Connell, Josh Dent, Josh Stark, Marc Crossman, Matt Anderson, Mike Gillerman, Steven Cathcart, Teddy Bearskovich and Zack Andresen will have you laughing so hard you'll extinguish your yule log and blow over your Christmas tree!

Thanks for reading; keep coming out to shows and supporting the Live, Local, Self-Aware, Artificially Intelligent PHX Comedy Scene!

| Download | Duration: 01:17:56

Feliz Navidad (and shut the hell up, Xchel) from your beloved S&M Comedy Elves!

This week's podcast features our first foray into music interviews, with Dave Cullen and Todd Smith from Polkadot Cadaver.  Yes, Polkadot Cadaver.  They're a very awesome, unique, tongue-in-cheek band from Baltimore, risen from the ashes of another awesome, unique, tongue-in-cheek band from Baltimore, Dog Fashion Disco.  Both bands are characterised by their eclectic styles, blending metal, circus music, and new wave with dark, sinister lyrics and Mike Patton-inspired vocals.  As big fans, we were happy to sit down with them at Los Favoritos Taco Shop before their show at The Clubhouse.  That's right, motherfucker, we fucking interviewed a fucking band named fucking Polkadot Cadaver at a fucking taco shop in a fucking strip mall in fucking Tempe.  We're fucking street like that.

Upcoming shows for us:  Both Sanderson and Marek will be at Pranksters Too for the Lenny Lizard roast on 12/27.

| Download | Duration: 01:17:23

Good morning!  Did you have sweet dreams?  That's nice.  Now go to work and keep dying slowly.

The holidays have descended without mercy.  Nightfall comes early these days, sapping the energy of every living creature with relentless bleakness and piercing chill.  All the zest with which you normally approach your days is just out of reach, shrouded in a dense fog of shopping in bland malls for gifts to render a weak, fleeting joy from someone you grow further apart from year after year.  You wake every morning in the cold and dark, feeling like a fat waif wandering Depression-era alleys searching for a crust of bread to sustain your body one more miserable day.  If only there were something to take your mind off the seemingly neverending onslaught of lethargic apathy punctuated by moments of despair- something to make you laugh for a while, share a timely endorphin-releasing memory with friends, maybe even meet a girl or three.  Something like...shutting the fuck up and going to a comedy show.  Yeah.  That's nice.

| Download | Duration: 01:23:27

A good Wednesday to you and yours during this fine, burgeoning holiday season!  Butter your bird and burden your butt with another podcast from S&M Comedy!

Today we share with you our interview of Howard Hughes.  Howard runs Stand-Up Scottsdale, a comedy venue that, in less than two years, has grown from a side room at a rock & roll club to a side room at a hotel restaurant into the current incarnation, a free-standing comedy club boasting a small-stage lounge for local open mics and a large main room with two bars and 170 seats!

Howard Hughes tends to be a bit of a lightning rod on the local comedy scene, as free with his opinions as he is.  In this interview, you'll hear opinions as layered as a spring mix salad with dried cranberries, gorgonzola cheese crumbles, and candied pine nuts on topics ranging from educating audiences on comedy, the importance of integrity of material, Phoenix comedy clubs, and humor in Mexico City.  Yeah, Mexico City.

Upcoming shows for us:  Both Sanderson and Marek will be at the Hidden House on 11/23.

There is no show this Thursday at Monkey Pants due to Thanksgiving.  Monkey Pants will still be open, however, in case you need a bacon wrapped deep fried hot dog smothered in nacho cheese to top off all that turkey drowning in a puddle of semidigested mashed potatoes with thick magenta veins of jellied cranberry sauce.  Just in case.  You can never have your bases too covered.

Pertinent Links: 

For upcoming shows at Stand Up Scottsdale, visit http://standupscottsdale.com/ 

Facebook profiles of Howard Hughes and Stand Up Scottsdale are here, just for you:  https://www.facebook.com/HHlive  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stand-up-Scottsdale/119885174690274

Email the podcast at smcomedysucks@gmail.com

Like the podcast on Facebook:  www.facebook.com/smcomedy

Thanks for listening, keep coming out to shows and supporting the Live, Local, Overeating, Going Back For Seconds, Who The Hell Took All The Stuffing PHX Comedy Scene!

Time for another meanderful blog post!

It's that time of year.  You know, that batten down the hatches, get ready for the panic, waiting for the cyclone time of year.  Not sure whether to quit going to shows now to find a moment's peace before the tornadic activity of the holiday season, or to hit as many shows as possible to fill up the tank in preparation for all your free time to be swallowed up by the whirlpool of family functions and shopping and overeating and early nightfall.  Then, just as the frenetic pace begins to seem normal, the holidays will be gone, and a residue of gluttony and parentally-induced post traumatic stress disorder will be left on our souls, like three consecutive days without a shower.  But hey, at least this year you didn't have to sit at the kid's table.

Upcoming shows for us:  Jamie Sanderson will be at Stand Up Scottsdale on 11/16.  Steve Marek will be at The Comedy Spot on 11/17.

This Thursday at Monkey Pants, the unbridled hilarity of Mike James, Stu Baker, Brian Lester, Mike Gillerman, Brian Kohatsu, Dan Miller, Charlie Speez, Tom Sims, Dave Schnier and Jim Bambrough will make you forget about how much terror you feel when you think of spending the holidays your loser family for at least a little while.

Pertinent Links:

Be the first on your block to like the podcast on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/smcomedy

Be the first on your block to email the podcast:  smcomedysucks@gmail.com 

Be another anonymous face in the hoary throng of comics at Monkey Pants by emailing jokes@monkeypantsbar.com  

Thanks for reading; keep coming out to shows and supporting the Live, Local, Seasonal Depression Suffering PHX Comedy Scene!

| Download | Duration: 01:22:14

Time for a hard-hitting dose of journalistic integrity, delivered by the reporters on the street- Jamie Sanderson and Steve Marek, the diuretic duo known as the S&M Comedy Podcast!  Boom!  Pow!  Biff!

In the current paradigm of American language, phrases like "ultimately," "at the end of the day," and "it is what it is" are bandied about when there is nothing left to say about a situation, and it's time for every individual to examine what's going on by using their personal judgement that has been cultivated by their individual genetic makeup and years of unique experience.  There are a lot of those moments here in our discussion with Comedy Spot proprietor Sean Dillin. 

We got to talk to Sean about his take on the local comedy scene, running his comedy club, and how comedians can improve their performances and further their careers.  Having not had much insight into Dillin's personality prior to sitting down with him, in this talk we discovered that as a club owner, his first priority is to his audiences.  If an audience is happy, the performer is happy, and that sometimes gets lost in the chaos of the comedic brain, always searching for the next edgiest, most mind-blowing, power-usurping rant to unleash on an unsuspecting comedy crowd. 

No, we didn't delve into the drama too deeply, but we got some good insight into a great room and the way it's run, and we look forward to continuing a healthy relationship in the future with the Comedy Spot.  Because ultimately, the S&M Comedy Podcast only wants to do good interviews that performers can use to step up their game and become more complete comedians at the end of the day, and those more complete comedians can look back and say, "it isn't what it's not."  Or something like that.

Upcoming shows for us:  Jamie Sanderson will be at the IceHouse Tavern on 11/10.  Steve Marek will be at FlimBar on 11/15.

This Thursday at Monkey Pants, feel the warm intellect and moist humor of Chanzo Tambuzi, Christian Avila, Jon Neal, Matt Storrs, Patrick Rosetti, Ryan Stoltz, Scott Stoyer, Liliya Souslova, Zack Andresen, and Jas Clay!  Mmmmmm.  Warm and moist....

Pertinent Links:

For all manner of information regarding The Comedy Spot, including events, classes, and booking for open mics, visit www.thecomedyspot.net

Send us mail.  No really.  smcomedysucks@gmail.com

Sado-masochistic Facebook page!!!  www.facebook.com/smcomedy

Thanks for listening; keep coming out to shows and supporting the Live, Local, Buzzword-Dropping, Cliche-Hurling, Playing to Win the Game PHX Comedy Scene!

Hey there.  Want a Wednesday blog post?  You got it.

It's a few days after Halloween, and Jamie's back still hurts.  You read that right.  You see, Jamie thought it would be a lot of fun to dress up as a slutty devil in order to make fun of all the hot girls in skimpy outfits that seem to crawl out of the darkness on 10/31.  (Although kudos to the hot girl in the Julia Roberts "Pretty Woman" prostitute outfit on Mill Ave.  Hot and slutty, with a dollop of witticism on top.)  To achieve these mean-spirited ends, Jamie dressed up in a red sequined tube top, red sequined horns, a red tutu, black fishnets and black, thigh-high five-inch heeled boots.  Oh, and his esposed white, bulbous, fat, gelatinous protruding beer belly to complete the ensemble.  and headed out to Mill with girlfriend and friends to join the hoary throng.

As it turns out, bearded pale fat dudes ironically dressed in skimpy women's outfits are very popular, particularly among hispanic males, aged 24-34.  After repeated photo shoots with various passers-by, several enthusiastic young bros hefted Jamie off the ground, flipped him up in the air, and spread his legs to expose the black frilly underwear beneath the red tutu.  You read that right as well, friend.  The gentlemen returned Jamie bootfirst to the ground with an air of chivalry, albeit a bit clunkily, and now old Jamie's lower back is officially wrenched.  It's not often that we say "we're getting too old for this," but when it comes to being contorted in midair by a swarm of horny mexicans to expose frilly underpants, yeah, we're getting too old for this.

Upcoming shows for us:  Steve Marek will be at Hidden House on 11/2.  Jamie Sanderson is enjoying a break from performance.

A very special night of comedy this Thursday at Monkey Pants- it's Morgan Captain's Grandma's Comedy Rec Room, featuring Malik Robinson, Jas Clay, Liliya Souslova, Chris Bennett, Xchel Hernandez-Zendejas, and Justin Phillips! Join these terrific comedians as they sit around the fireplace exchanging stories , answer audience questions, and entertain the audience and judges Dan Hoen Hull, Steve Marek, and Jamie Sanderson for an illustrious headlining spot at Monkey Pants!

Thanks for reading, keep coming out to shows and supporting the Live, Local, Candy-Stuffed, Sugar High-Inducing PHX Comedy Scene!