Dusty Slay - Episode 1106

Summary

Fitzdog Radio – Episode 1106: Featuring Dusty Slay

Release Date: August 8, 2025

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Introduction

In Episode 1106 of Fitzdog Radio, host Greg Fitzsimmons welcomes renowned comedian Dusty Slay for an engaging and candid conversation. Recorded in Dusty's temporary residence in Manhattan, the episode offers listeners an intimate glimpse into Dusty's life, career, and personal experiences.

Touring and Recent Travels

Dusty Slay begins by sharing his recent two-week tour across various cities, including Chicago and Batavia, before returning to New York and spending time with family in Westchester. He recounts humorous anecdotes about his 83-year-old mother, highlighting the lighter moments of family life. For instance, Dusty humorously recalls offering his mother scrambled eggs, only for her to misinterpret it as a request for cake at [03:02].

Performing at Keen Steakhouse and Touring with Family

Dusty discusses his experience taking his son, nephew, and friends to Keen Steakhouse in New York—a venue he frequently praises as the best chop house in the city. He shares a memorable and costly dining experience where his nephew's hearty appetite led to a $634 bill for five people [06:35]. This story underscores the balancing act between maintaining personal relationships and managing the financial aspects of touring.

Podcasting and the Pandemic Era

Transitioning to his foray into podcasting, Dusty explains the inception of his podcast, We're Having a Good Time, which he started to stay connected with fans during the pandemic. Initially co-hosted with his wife, the podcast now operates independently, allowing Dusty to engage with his audience without the logistical challenges of touring. He emphasizes the importance of maintaining a connection with fans through digital mediums, especially when live performances are hindered by unforeseen events like the COVID-19 pandemic [23:10].

Insights into the Comedy Industry

A significant portion of the conversation delves into the dynamics of the comedy industry. Dusty offers a critical perspective on the challenges comedians face when opening for established headliners. He reflects on his own experiences with opening acts, highlighting the lack of opportunities to join tours with big names despite delivering strong performances. Dusty shares, “[...] I kept getting better and better and working harder and harder. And now, you know, I built my own career.” [50:05] This segment provides valuable insights into the perseverance required to succeed in comedy and the importance of self-driven career development.

Performing on Hollywood Squares and Other TV Appearances

Dusty recounts his brief stint on Hollywood Squares, where he appeared alongside celebrities like Drew Barrymore and Justin Long. Despite initial intimidation, Dusty enjoyed the experience and appreciated the professionalism of the show. He humorously notes the thought-provoking interactions during his appearances, such as contestants choosing him over major celebrities for his unique appeal [37:27]. Additionally, Dusty mentions other television appearances, including After Midnight with Taylor Tomlinson, reflecting on the evolving nature of televised comedy shows [39:25].

Life in Nashville and the Clean Comedy Scene

Relocating to Nashville has significantly influenced Dusty's career. He highlights the city's vibrant and predominantly clean comedy scene, contrasting it with other regions. Dusty explains, “We probably have the cleanest comedy scene in the whole country” [59:45], attributing this to local showcases like Nate Bergazzi's Nateland Showcase and his own efforts to promote clean comedy through his monthly shows at Zany's. This focus on clean humor not only broadens his audience but also ensures a consistent and family-friendly environment for his performances [60:53].

Personal Life and Sobriety

A heartfelt segment of the episode explores Dusty's personal journey toward sobriety. He candidly discusses his long-term battle with alcohol, revealing that he has not consumed alcohol in 13 years [62:53]. Dusty shares the motivations behind his sobriety, attributing his decision to both health concerns and personal relationships. He reflects, “I like myself better as a non-drinker, but when I'm working clubs, I know that the clubs make their money off food and drinks” [66:13]. This honesty adds depth to his persona, illustrating the challenges and triumphs of maintaining sobriety in a demanding profession.

Reflections on Marriage and Family

Dusty's marriage plays a significant role in his life and career. He describes how his relationship with his wife, who is also a comedian, has been mutually supportive. They collaborate on podcasts and performances, ensuring that their professional and personal lives complement each other. Dusty emphasizes the importance of having a partner who understands the rigors of a comedic career: “When I asked her to marry me, she was marrying this version of me” [28:06]. Their shared experiences highlight the balance between personal commitments and professional aspirations.

Conclusion

The episode concludes with Dusty expressing his gratitude for the opportunity to join Fitzdog Radio. He promotes his new Netflix special, Wet Heat, and shares upcoming tour dates across various cities, encouraging listeners to attend his performances [70:44]. Greg Fitzsimmons wraps up by highlighting Dusty's continuous growth and dedication to his craft, leaving listeners with a sense of admiration for Dusty's resilience and authenticity.

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Notable Quotes:

• Dusty Slay [03:02]: “I said scrambled. And she goes, oh, no, I thought you said cake.”

• Dusty Slay [06:35]: “The bill was $634 for five of us with tip. Little light lunch.”

• Dusty Slay [50:05]: “I built my own career. And I can honestly say that I don't feel like there's any comic that I go, if not for this guy, I wouldn't be where I'm at.”

• Dusty Slay [59:45]: “We probably have the cleanest comedy scene in the whole country.”

• Dusty Slay [66:13]: “I like myself better as a non-drinker, but when I'm working clubs, I know that the clubs make their money off food and drinks.”

This episode of Fitzdog Radio offers a blend of humor, personal anecdotes, and insightful commentary on the comedy industry, making it a must-listen for fans and aspiring comedians alike.

Transcript

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[Greg Fitzsimmons]

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[Dusty Slay]

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[Dusty Slay]

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[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Welcome to Fitz Dog Radio.

[Dusty Slay]

I'm in the Upper west side of Manhattan at my mother in law's and she's in the next room with my wife. So this is one of those podcasts that might be a little bit cleaner.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

And more.

[Dusty Slay]

Restrained, shall we say. My guest today is Dusty Slay. I recorded him a couple of weeks ago. I've been on the road for two weeks everywhere. Chicago. I flew to Chicago, did some shows out in, I want to say Chicago. It was actually Batavia. Batavia, about 45 minutes west of the city. Had some fun shows. So I went Chicago, then New York, up to my sister's in Westchester. Spent four days, hung out with my mom. My mom is, she is not a nutritionist. She is not a health fanatic in any way at all. She's 80, she'll be 83 this summer. And she was downstairs at my sister's house in the basement. And she's got a little apartment set up down there that she stays in in the summertime. She's in Florida the rest of the year. Anyway, she's downstairs and it's the morning, morning, you know, 10:00am and I yell down to the basement. I said, mom, do you want some eggs? And she goes, oh, great, what kind?

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

And I said.

[Dusty Slay]

I said scrambled. And she goes, oh, no, I thought you said cake.

At 10:00 in the morning.

So we're trying to get her to exercise.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

We did a bunch of outdoorsy stuff.

[Dusty Slay]

We went to a museum, had her wash. She walked 10,000 steps, which was pretty impressive. Been in the city for like four days and walking like crazy. 16, 17, 18,000 steps every day. Went to another museum, went to the Whitney. And what else do we do? I mean, you know, you just look at stuff. You just walk around New York and you look at stuff. There was a bus stop on the Upper west side. It's got a, it's got a realtor, an ad for a real estate agent to buy a home.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

It's like, I think you guys, I.

[Dusty Slay]

Don'T know who's doing the marketing for the realtors, but not a lot of people riding the bus with the disposable income to buy a house. No buses. Bus people are renters. They're lifelong renters. Things have not worked out. If you want to advertise things on a bus stop, I'd go with like oodles of noodles, divorce lawyers, knockoff Nike sneakers, you know, not homes.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Went today. I took my.

[Dusty Slay]

My son's here. He's been here free. He's been living here for few weeks. He's staying in my, my wife's mother in law's apartment. She's away for the summer. So he's up in Harlem for the summer looking for a job. He's got some good leads.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

He's very excited.

[Dusty Slay]

And so I took him and his roommate and my nephew Rowan and my buddy Michael o' Brien took him to Keen Steakhouse. I've talked about it on the show before. If you ever get to New York.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

And you want to.

[Dusty Slay]

It's not cheap, but it's the best steakhouse in the city. It's a chop house. They sell mutton chops or porterhouse steaks or filets. They got it, they got it all. But you go there for the mutton chops, which is a piece of sheep. And it's the second oldest restaurant in New York. I think the oldest is the Homestead. And then there's this and. And it's whatever I'm not going to get into. If you listen to the podcast, I've talked about it in detail before. It's an amazing old restaurant. And so we walk in and my nephew, who is a monster he's gigantic. He was. He was in the Navy. He was almost a Navy seal. And he works out like a maniac. Mma, all that. And he eats like a horse. And he always over orders. When you go to a restaurant, he orders so much guy. And this is an expensive restaurant. So I walk and I go. I go, rowan, by the way, don't. Don't over order in this place. There's five of us, and I know I'm picking up the check. So we sit down, and the waiter comes over. Anybody want anything to drink? I go, I'm good with the tap water. Everybody else is like, yeah, tap water's fine. And he's like, I'll get that specialty ginger ale. And then any appetizers? And he goes, yeah, we'll have the thick bacon.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

It's.

[Dusty Slay]

It's a $34 appetizer.

Yeah. Okay.

And then he orders another appetizer, and then he's got a.

He ordered.

I forget what he ordered for an entree. And then dessert. Yeah. Unbelievable. Last time I take this kid out.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

No, I won't.

[Dusty Slay]

I'll take him out again. I love him, but, Jesus, what a pain in the ass. The bill was $634 for five of us with tip.

[Audience Member]

Yeah.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Yep.

[Dusty Slay]

Little light lunch. So I did.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

I did.

[Dusty Slay]

We might be drunk yesterday with Sam Morrell and Mark Norman and had such a blast. Those guys are so easy and funny. This is how all podcast experiences should be. You sit down, there's a little bit of planning. They ask you for some pet peeves in advance. They do some research on you. And I've known them both for a lot of years, so, like, they. We know what to talk about. But it was so much goddamn fun. Said some stuff I probably should have said, but that's what you do with these guys, and hopefully you don't get in trouble for it. And I guess that's out this week or next week. I'm doing a bunch of spots. I'm only doing spots one night this week because it's kind of a vacation.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

My wife flew in.

[Dusty Slay]

I. I did some gigs in Fe, Philly and Jersey Shore, and now I'm in the city for, like, six days. Flew my wife in.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

She's.

[Dusty Slay]

She's here, happy to hang out with Owen. And so I just. I'm going out to do shows one night, so I got, like, four spots tonight, and that'll be fun. And then I'm coming to your town, people. I'm gonna be in La Jolla at the comedy store. That's August 29th through the 31st. Oh, Comedy Store. This just. I. I meant to be plugging this, but I'm gonna do a new hour at the Comedy Store in the Belly Room, which is the intimate little room upstairs. I'm gonna bring some special guests in. Probably be a surprise name or two that you'd like to see as well as me. That's August 16th at the Comedy Store, Belly Room. Then I'm coming to Denver Comedy Works, Connecticut Comics, September 26 and 27, Fairbanks, Alaska, Vegas, Chicago, New Orleans, San Franc, Cleveland. Go to fitzdog.com get some tickets and come out. My guest today is a very funny guy. I don't say this a lot in my intros. My guest today grew up in a trailer park, which is a big part of his comedy. He's got a very interesting take on the world. Alabama, I think he grew up in, and he's a regular on the Gran Ole Opry. I don't say that a lot about my guests, but he's also, like, you know, done a ton of legit shows, all the late night shows. He's had a bunch of specials that blew up. And he's just a super funny, really good comic. And I was really high. He's in town for a little bit promoting a new special. He lives in Nashville, but he was in LA a couple weeks ago and I grabbed him. So please enjoy my conversation with the great Dusty Sleigh.

[Audience Member]

Foreign.

[Dusty Slay]

All right. Yeah. All right. Hey, I'm pumped to be here. Thanks for having me. We're having a good time.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

We're having a good time. We're doing it by Zoom, which I. I can't remember the last time I did that, but I know you're promoting, you do your new special and Wet Heat, which I wanted to have you on and talk about that, tell you how much I enjoyed it. It's outstanding.

[Dusty Slay]

Well, I appreciate it. I appreciate you having me. I wanted to do in studio, and I know that in studio is the best, but I guess I'm going to be there when you'll be gone. And I don't live there, so I appreciate you accommodating me.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Well, I saw you. We did a show at the Comedy Store together, I don't know, about a month ago. And what a fun show. It's just, you know, there's something about the store right now. It's got. It's got a new vibrancy. There's a lot more people coming in. I saw the booker come right up to you after the show. And she got your number, and she's like, I want you to come here when you're in town. And that's sort of like what's happening at the store now is they're starting to really bring in people that should have been here for a while. And I'm glad you're part of that.

[Dusty Slay]

Well, I love it. I mean, it's so fun. That show, that Jeremiah Watkins show is so fun.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Yeah, it's crazy.

[Dusty Slay]

Makes me nervous every time, especially in the Comedy Store. I've only done it one time. This be my only two times I've done the Comedy Store. And, yeah, now I'm going to go out without any. Without any jokes prepared. And it's fun. I love it. I had a great time.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

So in case people don't know, Jerry, I think it's called comedy on the spot. And you go out and the audience yells out suggestions, and you have to just come up with a bit on the spot. And it's a great way to write new material, and it's a great way to get the juices flowing. Like, I think you did improv as well at some point, right?

[Dusty Slay]

Yeah, I started comedy doing improv. I used to. I lived in Charleston, South Carolina, and we used to, you know, I used to get in there and pass the clap and zip zaps up and all those sorts of things. And if people don't do improv, they don't know what that means. But, you know, it's so fun to do improv. And then you get into stand up and stand up, as I. Well, this is more fun than improv. Yeah, but you're still, like, you know, wanting to do a little improv. But I feel like they don't always cross over because if you go see a standup show, people want you to, you know, they want you to have your material down and be.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Well, I think it depends on the performer. Some people do a lot of crowd work. I think a lot of people do it poorly, and the people that do it well, that's a show that I think, like, I have a hard time following somebody that destroys with crowd work. Like, there's a guy named Rick Ingram at the store who. He just did a world tour with Chris Rock, and he does all crowd work. Ian Bag is very good. So, you know, it's tough to follow because it puts the audience in a different mindset where they suddenly feel like everything the person is saying is occurring to them at the moment, whereas a lot of them, it's a little trickery. It's stuff they've done many times, but they can play it off as. As it's actually in the moment.

[Dusty Slay]

Yeah. So the new. It's like the newspaper versus social media, Right? You're like, the newspaper, like social media getting it all right now, the newspaper, you're like, what, does this come out this morning?

[Audience Member]

Yeah.

[Dusty Slay]

What's happening right now? And I think that happens, right. A guy come out really good at crowd work, and then you come out with your prepared jokes and they're like, would you write this?

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Yeah, yeah, exactly.

[Dusty Slay]

Jokes at home.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Yeah. There was this great moment on tough. I think the greatest moment in the history. Remember that show tough crowd with Colin Quinn?

[Dusty Slay]

I do remember it. I didn't watch it, but I do remember it.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Yeah. So it was a panel show, and it was very edgy. It was four comics and. And then Colin Quinn would host it, and the great Greg Giraldo came on, and Dennis Leary was also on the panel. And Dennis Leary decides just to go after Geraldo. Geraldo does a joke, and it was like a written, hard joke about a top. Like, before you did the show, they would give you five or six topics from the news so you'd be prepared. And so Greg Giralde does like a hard joke. And then Leary goes, look at this guy writing all his jokes. You should have seen him backstage. He had pieces of paper. He's scrawling it all out. And Geraldo, who's like a young comic, and Leary is this kind of legendary TV movie star. And Greg goes, well, yeah, that's called preparing for the show. And then Leary's like, you were probably the kid in high school that was like, hey, teacher, you forgot to give us homework. And then Geraldo and I paraphrase this went on much longer. But then Geraldo goes, well, maybe if you had written more, your show would still be on the air. And the crowd went crazy. And, like, Leary literally had to be held back. He was. He wanted to beat the shit because he's a fighter and he wanted to come after Geraldo. But, you know, Gerald is a tough. You know, he was a tough kid from Queens, and he could take care of himself. So it was so beautifully awkward, and nobody knew what to do after that.

[Dusty Slay]

It's so funny. The guys. I mean, it's almost cliche, but the guys that love to dish it out the most can hardly take it. I mean, how are you going to come at a guy for preparing and then if he gets you, you want to fight, right? Come on, buddy.

[Audience Member]

Yeah.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

No, it's true. The insult people really are the most thin skinned out of everybody. And that's why these roasts, everything is a roast now. Either it's Comedy Central doing roasts, or you got, you know, Roast Battle that they do at the store. That's a big podcast. And you got Kill Tony, which is essentially just a roast, and which I just did this week. And I roasted one of the comedians and he fucking roasted me back. And he was like, you look so old you think you have aids. And I. And I just looked at him like, yeah, I kind of do. I know. And I didn't have a comeback and I just said, so. I, like, made fun of his pants or something. But, like, here I am, this seasoned comic, and this is just like this young Austin, you know, buck who kind of got the better of me. It sucked.

[Dusty Slay]

That's why I don't like to do crowd work, because I'm like, I'm always afraid the audience member is gonna be funnier than me. Yeah, I'm like, I can write my material and I can improv, I can flow with it, but I don't like to go at people in the audience.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

No, you flow. I like your little flows. And you're special. They're. They're small and they're very organic. Like, at one point, like, you picked up your bottle of water and you went to screw the cap off, and it was already unscrewed, and you took a moment to comment on it and you got like two or three beats out of it. And then you went right back into your act and like, somebody had a funny laugh and you noticed that and you did a callback to one of your jokes. And. No, I like that. I don't like when somebody can't acknowledge anything throughout their entire set. Like, I feel like that gets. Then you feel like you're watching tv.

[Dusty Slay]

Well, that's, you know, that's how I used to be. I used to be very scripted and I didn't want anything to throw me off. But just stage time, you go, and now I love to do that. I love to comment on little things. I have made so many water bottle jokes, you know, that. That I actually have a joke that I'll do. And I'll do my whatever water bottle joke I'm doing. And then I go, that's not the worst water bottle joke I've ever done. Yeah, I love to do that. I think that stuff's fun.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Right, right, right.

[Audience Member]

And.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

And it really does ground the audience in the moment. It really makes them feel like you, they're at a show that nobody else has seen or will see. This is their show. And. And it doesn't take a lot. You know, it's nice to open up, talking about, like, Nikki Glaser is really good at whatever city she goes to. She does five minutes of hard jokes about Cincinnati or Montreal, wherever she is. And, you know, that takes work, but it pays off in spades because now you've entered the show with them feeling like, A, you give a shit about their city, B, you're honest to what's going on in the moment. C, you can write jokes without a lot of prep, without a lot of time. You know, it's. It's great.

[Dusty Slay]

Yeah. When you phrase it like that, it really makes me feel bad that I don't do it, because I.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

That's what I'm here for.

[Dusty Slay]

You kind of lost me at the hard work part.

[Audience Member]

Yeah.

[Dusty Slay]

Where you're like, these comics that work so hard. I go, why? Why'd you get into comedy? It's like, you know, I do like to be prepared.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Right.

[Dusty Slay]

But, you know, I'm like, I like to build my act and in the. In the improv, but I like to build the act by improving, you know, in a. In a sense where I have an idea of what I want to do and then I build on that. But, you know, sometimes I'll have jokes about the city and it'll be really good, and then I. And then I'll put that out as a clip and it feels good.

[Audience Member]

Yeah.

[Dusty Slay]

I don't know why I don't do it everywhere I go, but I think it's the hard work part.

[Audience Member]

Yeah.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Well, that's what the plane is for.

[Dusty Slay]

Yeah.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

That's the. I write. 80% of my writing is done on planes, especially when I'm going coast to coast, because it's like. It's like your own little cubicle. Your phone doesn't work, nobody's going to distract you. You can't go to the kitchen. And so I just. I end up like, I have adhd, and it makes me hyper focus. And I'll go through my set, I'll work on transitions. I'll come up with maybe something topical, you know?

[Dusty Slay]

Yeah. See, I have been collecting DVDs for. For many years. I still buy a lot of DVDs. Now. I rip the DVDs onto my computer, and then I airdrop them to my laptop and I watch movies on the plane. Old movies that you can't find anywhere else.

[Audience Member]

Yeah.

[Dusty Slay]

And I watched three movies on Saturday it is a complete waste of time. But I. I feel like I'm culturally enriching myself.

[Audience Member]

Yes.

[Dusty Slay]

I'm like, oh, I've seen all these movies now. I watched, you know, I watched the old Incredible Hulk. I watched the man who Shot Liberty Valance.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Oh, it's a great one.

[Dusty Slay]

And I watched Falling down with Michael Douglas, and I felt like I gave myself a nice variety.

[Audience Member]

Yeah.

[Dusty Slay]

Felt good.

[Audience Member]

Yeah.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

That's my treat. When I do my writing, I save. Especially coast to coast. I'll save an hour or two at the end. And I download episodes of Netflix shows.

[Dusty Slay]

Yeah.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

And I'll watch. I'll watch one or two episodes or something as my treat at the end.

[Dusty Slay]

That's what I should do. Reward myself my whole life. Shouldn't be a reward. Right? I should.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Well, you know, if things are different. Like, when I started in Boston, we used to play softball three days a week. We used to make prank calls with each other just to make each other laugh. We'd go out to lunch, we'd sleep late, we'd stay out late. And now it's like, oh, I gotta do a podcast. I gotta do social media. I gotta go do an audition for something I know I'm not gonna get. You know, there's just. There's a lot and you're not. There's not that hang time anymore.

[Dusty Slay]

There's nothing like working on a thing that you know you're not gonna get.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Yes.

[Dusty Slay]

But I gotta do it.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Yes. I could see you being cast and stuff, though. Have you done any acting?

[Dusty Slay]

Not really. I think if I lived in LA or New York or. I would probably try to get more involved in that.

[Audience Member]

Yeah.

[Dusty Slay]

There's not as much happening in Nashville. I did do a small. Nate Bargassi, who lives here, has a movie, and I got a small role in the movie. I did get a speaking part.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

That's pretty sweet.

[Dusty Slay]

Yeah. But, you know, I just enjoy comedy. All I want is to do comedy and for people to come to my shows.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Yeah, right.

[Dusty Slay]

That's what I need.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

I like that. It's a rare breed that's not trying to do too much. But you are launching a podcast as well, right?

[Dusty Slay]

Well, I have my own podcast that I've done for a long time called the We're Having a Good Time podcast.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Okay.

[Dusty Slay]

And I've been doing it for a long time, but really it started. I started it just as a way to stay connected with people. I thought, well, if I go to, let's say, Springfield, Missouri, this weekend, and I do comedy and I Make a bunch of fans. And I tell them, you know, I make a bunch of fans, and then I don't come back for another year, they may forget about me, but if I can get them to listen to my podcast, then they stay connected to me. So when I come back, they know.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Is this the one you do with your wife?

[Dusty Slay]

Well, we were doing it together. We've done it together off and on, but she's currently off of it, and now we have two.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

We're talking about the podcast, right?

[Dusty Slay]

Yes.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Okay.

[Audience Member]

Yeah.

[Dusty Slay]

We're married, and things are going well, but, you know, we. We live together, we spend a lot of time together, we raise children together, and then it's. It's a bit much to also do a podcast together, Right? She'll. She'll come on to keep me on track. If I'm slacking too much, she'll go, all right, you got to be doing your podcast again.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Yeah, it shouldn't feel like a job. You know, that's the thing. Like, I like how Bill Byrd does his. He just, like, it started out with him just driving, and he had this app where you talked into your phone and it just recorded it, and he would just sort of drive around. You'd hear him yelling at other drivers, and. And then he just put it out as a way of, like, you know, unloading every week.

[Dusty Slay]

Oh, yeah.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

So I think it's about finding your sweet spot. Like, I love talking to people. I love, you know, the booking part I don't enjoy.

[Audience Member]

I.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Because I feel like I don't want to put people on the spot if they don't want to do it. And I can't remember if I reached out to you or your people reached out to me. I think I reached out to you, right?

[Dusty Slay]

I don't know. I think they reached out to you.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Yeah, maybe they did. Yeah. Yeah, I think they did. But so I jumped at it. And. And that's always so much easier when somebody reaches out to me, because otherwise, like, I don't want to feel like I'm calling in a favor or, you know.

[Dusty Slay]

Well, yeah, and I don't want to hire people to ask to do podcast, but I also hate asking to do podcasts. It feels better if I hire someone and then they ask people, can I do their podcast, rather than me going, hey, can I do your podcast? I don't want to put people on the spot that way to where now they have to go yes or no to me or leave me on read.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Leave you on red. What's that like?

[Dusty Slay]

Like they read my message but don't respond.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Oh, yeah, yeah. I think that should extend to more than just social contact. You know, leave you on Red should be something that people physically do, like putting a guy in the friend zone. That should be called leaving them on on red.

[Dusty Slay]

Yeah, I think so. Or maybe we should call leaving them on red putting them in the friend zone. You know, I asked you their podcast and they just put me in the friend zone.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Yeah, right. Because I do get asked by some people to do the podcast and sometimes I just think, I don't see the angle here. I don't know what we get into. I don't want to just interview another comedian who's just like me, you know, like you're a guy who. We have nothing in common other than we are both passionate about the same craft and probably know a lot of the same people. But, you know, we're from different parts of the world. I grew up rich. No, not rich, but we had money. I wasn't in a trailer park.

[Dusty Slay]

Yeah, well, you know, that's, that's what I think is fun. Right. Because I, I know at least I did. Things have changed a little bit. But I know how to tell people how to become a comic from working the road. Yeah, right. And. But I don't know how to tell people to do things. If you move to New York or la, I have no idea how that works. Yeah, but if you wanted to, if you were like, I'm an open micr and I want to get on the road, I can tell you how to do it. People don't want to follow it. They don't have the patience, they don't have. They want things to happen right away.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

And then they find out what the money is as an opener on the road. And they're like, I can't do that.

[Dusty Slay]

How would I live exactly, when older people will reach out to me and go, is it too late for me to start doing comedy? I like to know, are you married and do you have kids that you're still raising? And if those answers are yes, then I say probably. It's probably too late because your wife and kids are not going to understand why you're driving 10 hours for two nights to make $250.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Right, right.

[Dusty Slay]

They're not going to get it.

[Audience Member]

Yes.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

And it can be a real strain on the marriage because like I'm. When I met my wife, I was already doing this, you know, so when she was my girlfriend, she saw me going on the road three weekends a month and she Knew that was part of the deal. So when I asked her to marry me, she was marrying this version of me. It's not fair to introduce a new version of yourself to the person.

[Dusty Slay]

Yes, 100%. My. That's exactly right. When people are, like, have jobs and then they just start comedy, I go, this is not going to work out. My wife also did comedy when we met, so I was broke, and she was also a comic. So when things started to get better in comedy, it just made our lives better, you know, it wasn't. I didn't have a 9 to 5 and then start doing the broke comedy stuff.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

What? Were you guys ever competitive at any point? Be honest.

[Dusty Slay]

Not really, because my wife's Canadian, and she was working on her visa to move here. So by the time, you know, she actually got here, I was already headlining a lot of clubs. Not all clubs, but I was headlining a lot. So she was able to come feature for me. And then when I would feature somewhere, she could come and host. So we worked that out. So we never really were competing. We did have times where she was opening for me and she would do better than me.

[Audience Member]

Yeah.

[Dusty Slay]

And then she would get mad at me for doing better because, like, she would go. She would get like. I think it would bother her like that. I wasn't gonna take her anymore if she was doing better. And she was like. She would go, you gotta do better. If I'm opening for you, you gotta do better.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Right? Right. Well, that's what a spouse should do. You gotta elevate your game, man. Whether it's. Whether it's housework or talking about your feelings. I mean, the greatest thing in life, if you can swing it, is to commit to another person for the rest of your life where you're going to be accountable. It keeps you honest. It makes you evolve.

[Dusty Slay]

Well, a hundred percent. And then. Because, you know, I never thought I would get married. I think it's a Doug Stanhope joke. I've been quoting it for years. But Doug, I think he had a joke where he said about marriage. You know, he's like, hey, this is going pretty well. Why don't we get the government involved? Right?

[Audience Member]

Yeah.

[Dusty Slay]

So that's how I always kind of thought about marriage. I was like, there's really no need to do this. But then I started dating someone that's Canadian. And at some point in our relationship, it was like, either I get married or my girlfriend that I love has to go home to another country. So I was like, let's get married.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

You know, it Sounds like you had a couple of things to hold over her in this relationship.

[Dusty Slay]

Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. But now she's a citizen. She could leave me at any time. Yeah, and. Yeah, but. But, yeah, you know, and then we had kids, and that. That elevates the relationship to a whole other level. Like, you start having to think about your health. You're like, oh, I can't just die now. You know, I have kids. Not that I was ever, like, thinking I could just die, but what did it matter? Yeah, but now I have kids. I'm like, well, I need to raise my kids.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Well, you can die. What are they, like, three and five?

[Dusty Slay]

Yeah, they're two and four.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

I just threw two darts at that one, and I got pretty close. No, I knew they were. I knew they were young, but, yeah, my feeling was always like, once they get to be 18, then I can die because my father died when he was 52, and I'm now 59, so I feel like I'm on seven years of borrowed time right now.

[Dusty Slay]

Okay.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

And so I. I just felt like if I can live until they're 18, then the trauma won't be as bad.

[Dusty Slay]

Okay, well, my. My dad's live. My dad's still. He's in his 70s. My granddad lived to 66, so I always thought if I could make it to 66, but by the time my son is 18, I'll be, you know, gosh, I'll be 57. So.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Okay, so about. About the same as me. I'm a little. I would be a little younger than that. But it's kind of good because you had your young years. You got to travel, you got to build a career, you got a foundation of a life, you know, travel. I think it's tough when you have kids in your 20s, because then you got a little. Little party who is still looking around going, oh, I could have. I could have been with more women. I could have gone with my buddies to Vegas more, whatever. So I think 30s is a, you know, mid-30s is a great time. Late 30s to have kids.

[Dusty Slay]

I think so, too, because I was a maniac in my 20s. Big drinker. I love drinking. And I. You know, I also had a, you know, a 9 to 5 job that I make fun of now, but it's a. It was a good job. You know, I was a sales rep for a pesticide company. I sold pesticides to Lowe's and Home Depot, you know, and it's a joke, you know, that I make fun of all the time now, but I You know, it's a salary position with health benefits.

[Audience Member]

Yeah.

[Dusty Slay]

So if I'd had kids during that time, I would have kept that job.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

That's right.

[Dusty Slay]

And I would have worked my way up in the company.

[Audience Member]

Yeah.

[Dusty Slay]

And, you know, but who knows? You know, I could have had kids then and gotten my life together a lot sooner. Who knows?

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

But did you have to handle the pesticides at all or were you just doing the paperwork?

[Dusty Slay]

No, I had to handle the bottles. Not the, not the liquid itself, but I would spill it on me a lot and not wash my hands for a long period of time.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

So if you'd stayed at that job, you probably would have died at 52 like my father.

[Dusty Slay]

Yeah, probably. So I would have been because I, you know, when a bottle would get damaged, the store would want us to write it off, and then it was our job to take it out of the store and dispose of it. But I didn't know where to take it. So I just kept it in the trunk of my car. And, you know, I'd drive and it would fall over and spill out. And I had a buddy get into my car one time and he goes, what's that smell? And I was like, so used to it, I didn't even notice it.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

And you're like, forget the smell. There's no bugs in this car. Have you noticed that?

[Dusty Slay]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. He was like. And there was a lot of trash in there, too. There should have been bugs in the car.

[Audience Member]

Yeah.

[Dusty Slay]

He was like, buddy, you gotta do something about this.

[Audience Member]

Yeah.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

And that was. That was how long ago that you left that job?

[Dusty Slay]

I left in 2012.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Okay, so 13 years you've been doing this.

[Dusty Slay]

Well, I waited table. I waited tables for two years after that. And then I actually took the seasonal job. I moved to Nashville, took the seasonal job in 2014. So halfway through 2014, that job ended. And I've not worked a job since. So about ten and a half years, I've been a full time comic.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

And when did you start making good money? Like money where you were actually putting some in the bank besides just living.

[Dusty Slay]

Off of about mid-2018.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Oh, okay.

[Dusty Slay]

So about four years. But, you know, four years after going full time, I. I did the. I did Jimmy Kimmel Live in January of 2018. I did JFL about, you know, I don't remember May maybe of. I don't know if that's when JFL is, but whenever JFL would have been in 2018. July, July, and then late July, I did the Tonight show. And then I got My management and agents and I started to make money in 2018. 2019 was when it really got good, and then 2020, we lost it all.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Oh, because the Panda.

[Dusty Slay]

Yeah.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Right. Oh, man.

[Dusty Slay]

Yeah. Yeah, yeah.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

That's a rough one. That's a rough little hiccup on the road. Well, is that when you started the podcast?

[Dusty Slay]

No, I started it in probably 2017.

[Audience Member]

Yeah.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

So the people that had podcasts through the Pandemic had a lifeline, like you said, it was a way to keep in touch with your fans. And, you know, Kevin, still thinking about you, and. And then when you get back on the road again, you. You're. You're already promoting your stuff. So I wanted to ask you about Hollywood Squares because my friend was the. One of the writers, and he said that you were fantastic. He said you were only in one season, and people were talking about afterwards how they wish that you had been in more seasons. Did you meet. Did you meet a guy named Mike Gibbons?

[Dusty Slay]

I don't know that I didn't meet him, but I don't remember the name.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

So what was the experience like?

[Dusty Slay]

Well, I thought it was really fun. You know, I feel. Oftentimes I feel very out of place when I do stuff like that because, you know, you know, I was on with, you know, legitimate celebrities, some comics I knew that I had worked with. But, I mean, you know, Drew Barrymore is the center score square.

[Audience Member]

Yeah.

[Dusty Slay]

And I'm right next to her. I've watched Drew Barrymore in movies my whole life.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

She's the greatest.

[Dusty Slay]

Yeah, I'm. I'm. You know, Justin Long is on the other side of her, and because I was right next to her square on the first, I did two episodes, and I was right next to her, and, you know, and they. They dated. They're having some banter. Everyone was very nice to me, but it is, you know, pretty intimidating. I made the joke on one of the episodes. I don't know if it stayed in or not, but, you know, as they called on. As the contestants called on each square, they would go, you know, I'm gonna go with, you know, Drew Barrymore because I. I loved you, and I've watched your movies for years. And then they get to me and they go, I'm gonna go with Dusty Slay, because, you know, I forget exactly what they said. But I just. I just remember being like, I just love how you had that. Real caveat on why you picked me. You know, just everybody else is like, because they're hilarious. I picked you because I like your hair. Yeah, you know, I heard.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

I heard they pay good money.

[Dusty Slay]

They did pay good money. It was.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Yeah.

[Dusty Slay]

I mean, I was like, yeah, I'll do it. Of course I'll do it.

[Audience Member]

Yeah.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

And then. Good gift bag.

[Dusty Slay]

Good gift bag. I got a vintage board game of Hollywood Squares, and, yeah, they gave me some other stuff, and they were very nice. I had a great time there. And I. You know, I love doing that. It's like, who. I don't know how the show did, but I know that a lot of my relatives, family and friends were very excited to see me on there.

[Audience Member]

Yeah.

[Dusty Slay]

And it's a classic show, so it feels good to be a part of that.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Yeah, it is. It's pretty iconic. I mean, I can remember going back to my childhood and watching that show in the 70s and, you know, Gene Rayburn and Nipsey Russell and, you know, all these. All these people that it's. It was actually like a career back then. You could be a guy that did Hollywood Squares. You could do Match Game. Like, there was a bunch of panel shows, even the Gong show, like, guys that just worked game shows and they made a boatload of money and they didn't have to go on the road. They didn't have to learn scripts. They just were funny characters. Paul Lynn. Paul Lynn didn't ever do anything else.

[Dusty Slay]

I love that. I mean, I did not know that. I did not know that you could just work the game show circuit.

[Audience Member]

Yeah.

[Dusty Slay]

But I love that. I mean, I think. I think there was another reboot of Hollywood Squares in between the one you're talking about and the one.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Oh, yeah. True Carrie, I think. Was it Drew Carey? Oh, no, he was Price is Right.

[Dusty Slay]

Price is Right. I don't. But it would have been when I was a kid.

[Audience Member]

Yeah.

[Dusty Slay]

But I. I remember that. And I think maybe it was because I did a show called Nashville Squares, which aired on cmt. It was a huge failure, I think, but it was, you know, a similar setup. But they were supposed to be all Southern characters, you know.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Do you think that's how you got the show?

[Dusty Slay]

I don't know. I just think I have good management, and I think they're able to work it.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

But well played, Dusty Slay.

[Dusty Slay]

Yeah. But. Well, I don't know how I end up on a lot of things I get, you know, like I did After Midnight with Taylor Tomlinson, and that was really fun because I used to watch the show at midnight.

[Audience Member]

Yeah.

[Dusty Slay]

And I just, you know, I think we've lost some steam with these shows because the same amount of People aren't watching TV that they used to.

[Audience Member]

Yeah.

[Dusty Slay]

You know, so.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Yeah, not by a long shot. Did you used to watch Hee Haw growing up?

[Dusty Slay]

Not growing up. I have seen some episodes. My parents watched it.

[Audience Member]

Yeah.

[Dusty Slay]

And I do the Opry. I do comedy at the Opry. And there's been.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Right. Right now. Tell me about that, because I just went to the Ryman audit. I flew to Nashville to go to the Ryman Auditorium to see Jason Isbell, and. And then I saw Wheeler Walker Jr. The next night. You know that guy?

[Dusty Slay]

Yeah.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

So is that a different theater than Grand Olapry? Because the Ryman used to be the original one.

[Dusty Slay]

Yeah, the Ryman used to be the Opry, and now they have a spot. It. You know, it's called kind of like the New Opry, but I think it's been there since the 70s. But it's. It's out. Out of town where? Like, used to be Opryland theme park was there, but now it's the Opry Mills Mall, The. The Opryland Hotel. So it's a very nice hotel. And it's all out there, and, you know, it seats 4, 400 people. So when you do the. I've done the opry close to 40 times now. And it's like, when, you know. Oh, yeah, it's. I love it. I love doing the opera.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

You go, is it like a showcase or you. You headlined it 40 times?

[Dusty Slay]

No, no, it's a showcase.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Okay.

[Dusty Slay]

So it. You know, it'll be, you know, it'd be like you doing, you know. You know, this Comedy Store in la. You know, you get on a showcase, but it'll be all musicians and maybe some square. Square dancers.

[Audience Member]

Yeah.

[Dusty Slay]

So I get to work with all these really great musicians, and it's really fun because I do some country music breakdowns. So there's a country. A writer named Don Schlitz, and he wrote a bunch of tons and tons of songs. He wrote the Gambler by Kenny Rogers, and he saw me do my. My breakdown of Working Man. Hard Working man by Brooks and Dunn.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Oh, the guy with the hard hat who can hit nails.

[Dusty Slay]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And he loves it. He wants me to do a breakdown of the Gambler. And I've listened. I know the Gambler by heart. I've listened to it many times, and I do think there's something there, but I've just not found the way to do it yet. But, you know, it's fun to be like, this is a legendary songwriter. His list of songs is, you know, he has lots of number one hits. And so I'm working with this guy, and now, you know, we're. We're like colleagues, essentially.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

You know, that's pretty cool.

[Dusty Slay]

That's really fun to me.

[Audience Member]

Yeah.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

And is that those Grand Ole Opry shows, are those still televised?

[Dusty Slay]

They are broadcast on the radio.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Oh, okay.

[Dusty Slay]

So on Sirius xm, Willie's Roadhouse will always play it, and it'll be on a little bit of a delay. So usually I can do the Opry, and then by the time I get in the car and I'm on the way home, I can hear my set in the car on the way.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Oh, no kidding.

[Dusty Slay]

Yeah.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Do you get residuals from Sirius XM on those performances?

[Dusty Slay]

I don't actually. I don't know if I do or not. I know the Opry pays some to. To. I think once you become a member, the pay is better, but, you know, they. They throw something your way.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

I hope I don't sound like I'm obsessed about money, but I find it interesting. I find that the finances of comedy to be something that people are very interested in because they don't know, Like, I'm a guy that just works clubs. I don't work theaters, but I've been doing it for 35 years, and people don't know, am I a billionaire or am I like, lower middle class? They have no idea.

[Dusty Slay]

Yeah.

[Audience Member]

And.

[Dusty Slay]

Well, yeah, I mean, it's even. I had no idea a lot about a lot of the stuff with money in comedy. I mean.

[Audience Member]

Right.

[Dusty Slay]

You know, because you start off. And I remember, thankfully, I had some people advising me along the way, but, you know, I remember wanting to turn down gigs in the beginning because I was like. I was like, logically, this just doesn't make sense. I'm gonna drive all this way for that little bit of money. And they were like, well, it doesn't seem like good money. It's not good money. But what you're trying to do is this is a booker, and you want to stay in this booker's good graces. You want to, say, the top of their list. And you need stage time more than money.

[Audience Member]

Yeah.

[Dusty Slay]

And they were like, you know, you just stay in it, and the money will come.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Well, that's what I say to young comics is like, if you were a doctor, you would spend, you know, 50 grand a year for four years getting an undergraduate. Then you would spend 60 grand a year for three years in medical school, plus probably specialized. Then you would do a residency for a year or two where you make no Money. Then after eight, nine years, you start to make money. But it's big money. And it's the same thing with comedy. If you just look at it like Malcolm Gladwell saying, get your 10,000 hours until you master something. Just take all the work you can get. Make sure you're using that time. You're recording your sets, you're writing stuff and meeting people, learning from them, and then all of a sudden, you'll just be making a living at it, and then hopefully a good one.

[Dusty Slay]

Yeah. I mean, and. And that was what helped me so much when I moved to Nashville, because I lived in Charleston, South Carolina, and we didn't have a club, so I wouldn't get to see a lot of professional comedians.

[Audience Member]

Right.

[Dusty Slay]

So when I moved to Nashville, I started going to Zany's and I started watching professional comics. And then when I started, you know, getting to fe, I started getting to do the funny bones and the improvs and featuring, and then I would always watch the comics. And it was like, just to see. Because I'd only been around my hipster buddies doing open mics.

[Audience Member]

Yeah.

[Dusty Slay]

And now to see professional comedians work, even a lot of the smaller rooms that I did, you know, I mean, I. I might have an attitude at some point thinking I'm better than the road comic that I'm opening for. And then they get up on stage and they destroy the room, and I go, wow, who did I think I was? You know?

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Right. And even if you don't respect the material, you have to respect the structure, the energy, the commitment, the professionalism, whatever it is that lets that person stand on stage for an hour and entertain two or three hundred people and close strong to have a finale. Like, that's a lot to learn.

[Dusty Slay]

Oh, yeah. I mean, there's a guy. I don't want to say his name because I don't want him to think that I'm trashing him. But he's a guy I work with on the road. No, there's a guy I work with on the road a couple of times, and he did not have very good jokes. He said, I'm a performer. He said, I know what I am.

[Audience Member]

Yeah.

[Dusty Slay]

He said, I'm not a joke guy. I'm a performer. And we were working together this week, this one weekend, and I was. You know, I was really getting out of being an opener. I had started to headline more. And at the very start of his set, every night, it felt like I would watch and I'd go, oh, he's gonna have a hard time following me because I just had a really great set. And it was like, the first five minutes, it did feel like the audience was, like, almost judging him.

[Audience Member]

Yeah.

[Dusty Slay]

But by the end, they were all standing on their feet, clapping and singing along with what he was doing, and they had completely forgotten about me. They could care less about me.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Yeah, I've noticed that there's. There's guys that go on the road and open for big headliners, you know, and where you're flying private jets and all that stuff, and it's pretty rare that one of them ends up breaking out because you just don't remember them. You know, you're. You're the headliner is the last thing you're seeing. It's always a notch up. And so you might, as much as you might enjoy that opening act. Like, I can't name more than a few that have ever gone to the next level, and they end up staying as an opener for many years.

[Dusty Slay]

Well, that's interesting that you say that, because I talk about that a lot, because I, I, you know, I, I always resented in a way that no headliner ever took me on the road.

[Audience Member]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Dusty Slay]

I would work with these guys at clubs. We would have great weekends together. We would hang out. I would do really, really great, and nobody would ever take me on the road. And now that I look back, I go, oh, well, that's the best thing that ever happened to me.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

That's right.

[Dusty Slay]

Because I had maybe had a little chip on my shoulder. Oh, you don't want to take me. And then I just kept getting better and better and working harder and harder. And now, you know, I built my own career. And I can honestly say that I don't. You know, there's plenty of people that I would give credit to helping me along the way here and there, but I don't feel like there's any comic that I go, if not for this guy, I wouldn't be where I'm at.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Well, Nate Brigazzi's probably been your biggest supporter, right?

[Dusty Slay]

Yeah, but even that, I mean, Nate brought me on the podcast in 2022. I mean, I was, I had already had a Netflix half hour. I had, you know, I mean, he brought me on the podcast, but. And I don't, you know, I'm not saying Nate has not been a supporter, but I was well on. I had already had a full on headlining comedy career.

[Audience Member]

Right.

[Dusty Slay]

By the time he brought me onto the podcast.

[Audience Member]

Right, right.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

And by the way, I'm not knocking guys that go on the road and open for there's some amazing guys. But the problem is it's almost like my son just moved to New York and I was so glad because he grew up on the west side of la at the beach, surfing, skateboarding, nice out year round, all his friends are here. And he moved to New York, which was a ballsy move because he's going to live in a shitty small apartment with roaches. You live there, you know, it's a tough fucking life, but it's where exciting things happen. And I feel like it's the same thing with opening for somebody is you're comfortable, you know, you're only doing 15, 20 minutes. The crowds are killer, so you never have to learn how to deal with bad crowds. And you're staying in great restaurants and flying private. So it's like you don't have that kick in the ass to push you to the next level.

[Dusty Slay]

Yeah, and I agree, and I'm not knocking those guys either. I just think that. Yeah, I mean, it's exactly all those things you get, you get this Kush thing, thing going on. And you're also not making connections with clubs, especially if you're doing theaters, you're not making any connections with the club. So if ever and inevitably I feel like you're not going to be someone's opener forever. So when that ends, what do you do?

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Now I gotta say though, I think that that would be a good retirement plan for me in like 10 years when I don't want to promote gigs and do an hour and travel like a bum. Like I would, I would love doing 15 minutes at arenas for some, for some big act, you know, I think the money's pretty decent and it's. I think it would be a nice way to finish out my career.

[Dusty Slay]

Yeah, for sure. I mean, I've thought about that. I mean, there's many ways that I've thought about, you know, finishing out the career. It's like I've never been, I've never wanted to do cruises. I don't even really like to be on a boat. Yeah, but I've never wanted to do cruises. But I thought, you know, what if I was, if there was nothing else going on in my career or if I just wanted to take a different path, just sitting out on a boat every day. I know guys, they take their wives with them and they just, you know, they go to different cities, they just hang out and. Yeah, I was like, yeah, I could do that.

[Audience Member]

Yeah.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Yeah, try it. Definitely try it.

[Dusty Slay]

I mean, I, that's not the direction I Want to go, Because I don't really like boats. I almost could. Could see myself. I'm about to go to Vegas, so. And I don't know how well that show selling. So I don't think I'm on a path to this. But I would almost see, like, a Vegas residency I think would be really fun. Yes.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

I mean, Carrot Top's been very happy for a lot of years, you know, and, you know, I don't know. He's playing at the mgm. It's a beautiful theater. He works. He works six nights a week and only takes off, like, five or six weeks a year, so it's a grind. But he seems to like it, and he's staying creative. He's, you know, he's always got new stuff.

[Dusty Slay]

Yeah, that's what people tell me. They went to see him, and it's like he had. They were like. I went to see him, and they were like. He had jokes on stuff that happened in the news that day.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

That's right.

[Dusty Slay]

That was very funny.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Dusty Slay]

I mean, I've heard nothing but good things about his show. I've never seen it. I. I always think I'm gonna show up in Vegas and just go see shows, and then they're all sold out, and I go, oh, I needed to plan ahead.

[Audience Member]

Yeah.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

I just did Brad Garrett's club, and Brad was there. So what he does is, like, if he's in town, he'll emcee his own club. And then you go up at the end and. And then you go gambling with them, and he keeps throwing down hundreds for you to get chips, and he takes you out to the best restaurants, and it's amazing. And so my wife came out because it was Valentine's Day, and I couldn't get a reservation for, like, 10 days leading up to it, Vegas was booked. And so I got there and I told Brad. And the next night, the manager's like, yeah, you got a reservation at this, the best Italian place at the mgm. We go there. They had a private room that was just for me and my wife with their own server and five course meal. And then the. And then the server comes out and goes, your check's all taken care of. Brad took care of everything.

[Audience Member]

Yeah.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Wow. And then he got me tickets to Cirque du Soleil the next night.

[Dusty Slay]

That's really not. I mean, I've heard he's really nice. I've also heard that when he hosts, it is a hard night of comedy to follow him. That's what I've heard.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Very Hard follow. He is very hard follow. He talk about people that do crowd work. Well, I mean, he's as good as anybody. He just goes up and rip, and he does it old school. It's like Rickles. He says, like, stuff that. I think if he were younger and not as likable, he would get canceled for the stuff that he says on stage.

[Dusty Slay]

Yeah.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

But he. He carries it. He's almost like. He feels like an old Vegas kind of performer when he's up there.

[Dusty Slay]

Yeah.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

And. And he also, like, you know, a friend of his passed away. This couple both passed away, and they had kids, and he's, like, fostered them, and they all work at the club now, and he takes great care of them. And he's had this charity that he's had for 30 years that he's totally involved with. And, you know, I've heard about comics getting sick, and he takes care of their medical bill. He's just, like, an amazing guy.

[Dusty Slay]

Wow. Yeah, I've. I've only heard nice things about him, that's for sure. I'd not heard to that detail, but I just know comics that work there and they go, man, it is. I had a guy, he was like. The first night, he was like. I felt like I was bombing. He goes. But I. You know, I adjusted and I figured it out for the rest of the weekend. But he's like. It was hard to follow Brad Garrett.

[Audience Member]

Yeah.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

I found that if I just didn't do crowd work, it took them. It was like what you were saying before. It took them five minutes to re. Acclimate to my energy. And then it was, you know, they had great energy. So you just have to. Have to find your way to tap into that. That well of energy in your own way. You know, I think that that's something. When you're new at comedy, you don't understand. You think that you have to ride the wave and you have to do what that guy did, and you have to match his energy. But that's a recipe for failure, you know? And I. I came up doing the clubs in New York where, you know, you're following Dave Attell or Louis CK or Chappelle, and, like, you got to learn how to follow tough people. And the more you do it, the more you realize the only way it's going to work is if I am myself 100%.

[Dusty Slay]

Well, you know, I only lived in New York. I. I moved to New York for a month. I just rented.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Oh, that's it.

[Dusty Slay]

I rented an apartment for a month. I wanted To. Because I was considering moving there.

[Audience Member]

Yeah.

[Dusty Slay]

And I wanted to know if I liked it and I loved it. I thought it was really great. But I also talked to someone who talked to me about working the road, like, going that path. And I go, you know what? I like that better because I didn't want to work another job. I thought I could go. I could move to Nashville. I could get a cheaper apartment, and I could. I could become full time faster.

[Audience Member]

Right.

[Dusty Slay]

So that's why I did what I did. But the thing that I wish that I did have. And there are some good comics here in Nashville, but I do wish that I had more lineups where I'm, like, really nervous about the people I'm following.

[Audience Member]

Right, right.

[Dusty Slay]

To really force me to step up my game.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Yeah, yeah, for sure. It's like. It's like running with weights on, you know, it just forces you to really dig deep because we have a.

[Dusty Slay]

We have a lot of good comics here in Nashville, but, you know, chances are they're not all on the lineup every night. You know, like, if.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Well, who do you got out there? Theo Vaughn is there. Right. The Avon.

[Dusty Slay]

But he's rarely at any of the, you know, showcases.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Oh, okay.

[Dusty Slay]

And then we have John Crist, who's very funny. We have Nate Bergazzi. We have Aaron Weber. We have Kathleen Madigan, but Kathleen's rarely at any of the showcases. Steve Byrne. I see less of Steve Byrne these days at the showcases. We have a guy, Johnny W. I mean, these are. A lot of these guys are professional comics, but maybe not as well known. Aaron Weber, Brian Bates, all people that do the podcast with me.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

But would you say it skews, like, cleaner there than it would in other places? A lot of those people you mentioned are pretty clean.

[Dusty Slay]

We probably have the cleanest comedy scene in the whole country.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Really?

[Dusty Slay]

Maybe Salt Lake City. Salt Lake City, because a dry bar has a pretty clean. But I would say we probably have the cleanest come now that we got our share of filthy comics, for sure. But I would say we have at a high level, I would bet we have the most clean comics in the country.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Interesting. Wow, that's so cool because, like, Nashville is kind of a dirty town. Like, when I think of Nashville, I think about people partying, bachelorette parties, thrown up on the street, outlaw country music. You know, it's a gritty city. So where do you think that comes from?

[Dusty Slay]

I don't know. I mean, you know, Nate for sure has an influence because Nate runs. Now runs a weekly showcase. He doesn't Run it. He. You know, it's his name. The Nateland showcase, where it's. You have to be clean. But, you know, for 10 years, roughly 10 years, I've had a show at Zany's, a monthly show where I asked comics to be relatively clean. I don't need them to be quite as clean as the Nateland showcases, but I want them to still be relatively clean.

[Audience Member]

Right.

[Dusty Slay]

Because they're there to see me. But it's still a showcase. So, you know, I don't want to shock people. I don't want people to come to the show and be shocked by what the other comics say.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Right.

[Dusty Slay]

And. And I think, you know, that's played a role because if you want to do my show, which I sell out, it sells out almost every time. So if you want to do my show, you're going to have to have a clean, you know, five or 10 minutes.

[Audience Member]

Right.

[Dusty Slay]

So I. And then the same if you want to do Nate show, you got to have a clean thing. And it's like, you know, Brian Bates runs a showcase. So we have a lot of these showcases where you have to be clean. And so I just think I have a lot of friends that are very dirty comics, but they can all do clean because if they want to go on the road with us, they got to be clean.

[Audience Member]

Yeah.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

I'm thinking in my head how long of a set I could do if it was clean. Like, I used to do college shows and corporate shows, and I could pull off an hour clean, but it was edgy clean, you know, And I think the spirit of what I was doing, it felt like I was holding back, which I don't think you want to feel like on a clean show, you want to. You want to feel like, you know, when I watch you or Nate, it seems very organic that this is the way you are. You're not pretending to be this way.

[Dusty Slay]

Yeah. I mean, I, like, I don't mind if people feel like they're holding back, as long as they don't say it.

[Audience Member]

Right.

[Dusty Slay]

The worst is when you're doing a club and they've asked someone to be clean, and then they're bombing, and then they go, oh, yeah, I had to be clean up here. They want me to be, you know, like, I would be crushing if I could be dirty.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Yeah.

[Dusty Slay]

But I tell people sometimes, especially at clubs, I go, listen, if you go out there and you're real dirty and you bomb, fine. It doesn't matter to me. But if you crush, then you're going to make it Hard for me to follow.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Oh, I see.

[Dusty Slay]

I don't want to work that hard.

[Audience Member]

Right, right, right, right.

[Dusty Slay]

If you bomb, great.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Why do you think? Because you're. I know you. You mentioned you haven't drank in a while. How long has it been?

[Dusty Slay]

13 years.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Wow. Congrats.

[Dusty Slay]

Yeah. Thank you.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Yeah. And I haven't drank in 30. 30 years.

[Dusty Slay]

Amazing.

[Audience Member]

Yeah.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

So. But I'm always curious about, like, you do talk about it a little bit, and you say that you like drinking, and then people cheer, and I'm just. This is just kind of an offhanded observation I had while watching that. What do you think there is, not just in comedy, but in life in general, that people celebrate up your mind? They celebrate that you can't be comfortable sober, you know?

[Dusty Slay]

Yeah. I don't know. I mean, I think it's depending on how you grew up. It's almost like pounded into your head your whole life. It's like, I grew up listening to country music. Country music talks about drinking and partying and how fun that is all the time. You watch all these movies, and then you see people around you drink. Like, my parents were divorced. My dad was never much of a drinker, but my mom would drink. She would have boyfriends, and they would drink. And I never saw bad things happen. I always saw people having fun.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Right, right, right.

[Dusty Slay]

So I just grew up watching this, and then I grew up in Alabama. So, you know, you start drinking some people earlier, but I started drinking around 16, and I really just got into it. It was fun to just party. And it's so socially acceptable to just have drinks. And then you start getting jobs that suck. And you're like. All day, you're like, I hate this job. And so you get off and you go to the bar, all your friends are there, and you party. And I think you just get trapped in this cycle of the only way I can have fun is if I drink.

[Audience Member]

Yes.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

And that's what I'm. That's what I'm getting at is like, why is it that that's not a sad thing that our innate. And look, I drank hard for a lot of years, and I had. Like you, I had a blast. And I see a lot of people productively drinking and having fun. But there's something very sad that the human condition in its static form is uninteresting and we're emotionally shut down, that we don't share as much, we don't experience emotions as much. We don't feel joy.

[Dusty Slay]

That's just.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

And then, you know, drugs on top of that.

[Dusty Slay]

Yeah. I mean, I think it. Yeah. I mean, I think it's bad. I'm not for it. But. But I want. I am always trying to be careful to not come off as if I'm judging people, because I'm not. And I don't think you are either. We're not judging people for drinking. But it's like, you feel bad. You like. Because I had to accept that I'm just. I am less fun when I'm drinking.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Yes, but when you are. When you're not.

[Dusty Slay]

When I'm not.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Yes. Right.

[Dusty Slay]

But I'm. I'm also less of a mess.

[Audience Member]

Yes.

[Dusty Slay]

And so it's like. I think there's some balance there. I think there are a lot of family members that I have that probably liked me better as a drinker because I was light and more fun to be around. Right. But I. But I'm like. I like myself better as. As a not drinker, a non drinker. But when I'm working clubs, I know that the clubs make their money off food and drinks.

[Audience Member]

Yeah.

[Dusty Slay]

So whenever I talk about how I used to drink, I always talk about it in a positive way. And I do have mostly positive memories of drinking, but I, you know, I always talk about it in a positive way because I don't want people that have come to just let loose and enjoy themselves to now feel bad that they're drinking. And I don't want the club to lose money because I'm up here talking about how great it is to be sober.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Right. Right.

[Audience Member]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

It's funny you say people tried to talk you out of it, because my father was a pretty bad alcoholic, and when I got sober, he tried to get me to drink. He literally. I was telling him that I was depressed and stressed out, and he goes, you need a couple drinks. You know, just have. I was like, oh, my God.

[Dusty Slay]

I know, I know. Well, people would tell me that, they would go, you're just setting yourself up for failure. They go, don't quit drinking. Just control your drinking. I go, I can't control it. That's why I'm quitting.

[Audience Member]

Yeah.

[Dusty Slay]

Because I don't know how to have a couple of beers.

[Audience Member]

Yeah.

[Dusty Slay]

When I have a couple of beers, I get fired up and I'm like, let's do this all night.

[Audience Member]

Yeah.

[Dusty Slay]

You know, I would quit for a month, and then I would go, all right, all right. I've given myself a break. And then, you know, two weeks, I'm back to drinking just like I was before.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Yep.

[Audience Member]

Yep.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

I Know, it's the same way. It's a light switch. It's either on or off. And which. Which was actually really good for me because I wasn't the most. Most faithful boyfriend to my early girlfriends.

[Audience Member]

And.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

And I was drinking, and then I got sober, and then I met my wife, and I knew that, like, drinking, I could turn the switch off and be like, this is it. This is the one person, you know.

[Dusty Slay]

Yeah. Well, my wife would not enjoy me as a drinker. And, you know, probably some, because people really liked when I drank. They really liked up until a certain number of drinks. And then I could lose a lot of my friends. I was a real maniac, and I loved it. I think there's a part of me that really liked losing control, and maybe that's it. An answer to your earlier question. I think there are some people that have so much control issues. I think I probably have some control issues, and drinking helps me lose control. And I think I like that.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Yes, Yes, I know. I wish I could lose control once in a while. I'm so staid. I'm so, you know, I. Luckily, I have good friends and, you know, they relax me, my wife relaxes me, but the euphoria of a wild night out, I. I missed that.

[Dusty Slay]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Going to the. You know, I don't. I don't know where exactly you grew up. I guess California, but no, New York. Okay. We would go to the Waffle House, and after a late night of drinking and just, you know, you just eat a ton of food.

[Audience Member]

Yeah, right, right.

[Dusty Slay]

I'm sure New York was filled with diners.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Diners.

[Audience Member]

Yeah.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

And you do a lot of stuff that accompanies drinking that you wouldn't do. You eat shitty food late at night, you don't get enough stuff. Sleep, you have toxins in your body. In the morning, you smoke more. Like just. There's a whole basket that comes along with it.

[Dusty Slay]

I really think cigarettes is why I quit drinking. I think if I. I've done. I've thought about that a lot. I. Because I was. I felt so bad is why I quit drinking. My body just felt terrible.

[Audience Member]

Yeah.

[Dusty Slay]

And I think it was because I smoked so much while I was drinking.

[Audience Member]

Yeah.

[Dusty Slay]

You know.

[Audience Member]

Yeah.

[Dusty Slay]

And so I think smoking helped me quit drinking, so I will.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Listen, I don't want to keep you. What a pleasure. Dusty Slay. Thanks for coming on the show, my friend.

[Dusty Slay]

Thank you for having me. This was really fun. I enjoyed talking to you. I feel like the first time we ever really talked was at the Jeremiah Watkins show and I. So I'm happy to get to spend some time with you.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Yeah, I know. That's the nice thing about podcasts. You can. You can meet somebody and talk for a full hour with no interruptions. Get to know each other a little bit. It's great.

[Dusty Slay]

Yeah. How weird would it be for me and you just to talk and not record it, you know?

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

What a waste. People do that. Comedians do that. So. The special is called Wet Heat. It's premiering on Netflix today. The day this airs, it will be premiering. I watched it. I liked it a lot. I just laughed a lot. It drew me in. I couldn't stop. I don't always watch people's whole hour, and I watch yours right to the end and highly recommend it.

[Dusty Slay]

Well, thank you. I appreciate that.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

And then you got tour dates coming up. Starting August 8th. He will be in Huntsville, Alabama, Atlanta, Georgia, Madison, Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Prestonsburg, Kentucky, Princeton, West Virginia. Biloxi, Missouri. Auburn, Alabama, Binghamton, New York, Buffalo, Reading, Pennsylvania. Whole bunch of dates, all the hot spots. Yeah. What's. What's your website so people can get tickets?

[Dusty Slay]

Dusty Slay dot com.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

Dusty Slay dot com. Check it out. Dusty, thank you again, and hopefully I'll see you back in LA soon.

[Dusty Slay]

Thank you very much. I appreciate it.

[Greg Fitzsimmons]

All right, take care, buddy.

[Dusty Slay]

All right.

[Audience Member]

Sa.