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Amy Poehler
This episode is brought to you by Allstate. Checking Allstate first could save you hundreds on car insurance. That's smart. Not checking that the fake roast chicken is in fact a fake roast chicken before chomping into a wing. Rookie mistake. Yeah, checking first is smart. So check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds. You're in good hands with Allstate. Potential savings vary, subject to terms, conditions and availability. Allstate North American Insurance Company and affiliates, Northbrook, Illinois Foreign. Welcome to another episode of Good Hang. So excited that my old friend, my dear friend Fred Armisen is joining me today. And it's always the best to talk to Fred. And we're going to talk about so much stuff. We're going to talk about snl, of course. We're going to talk about how we don't like taking physical risks. We're going to talk about our different conflict styles. And we're going to talk about Wednesday, the big hit show on Netflix that he is a part of. We're gonna discuss the past, the present, the future. But we have a great guest joining us to discuss Fred and how wonderful Fred is a person who is here to talk well behind his back. And give me a question to ask Fred. That person is Carrie Brownstein. She is the star of Portlandia, Sleeter Kinney. She's an actor, director, a writer, and just a all around cool, awesome person. Carrie, thank you for joining us. Hi. This episode is presented by Allstate. Checking Allstate first could save you hundreds on car insurance. That's smart. Not checking that the fake roast chicken is in fact a fake roast chicken before chomping into a wing. Rookie mistake. Yeah, checking first is smart. So check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds in good hands with Allstate. Potential savings vary, subject to terms, conditions and availability. Allstate North American Insurance Company and affiliates, Northbrook, Illinois. Carrie, Hi. Hi.
Carrie Brownstein
Nice to see you. How are you?
Amy Poehler
I'm great. It's so good to see you. Look at how nice your background is.
Carrie Brownstein
I could say the same for yours.
Amy Poehler
We're talking to Fred today and we can talk about Fred forever. But I just want to talk about you for a second. I was a fan of yours long before I met you. And I just remember saying to Fred, like, wait a minute, Wait, wait, wait, wait. Carrie from Sleet or Kinney? Like, wait, that Carrie. Like, I can remember this feeling of, oh, my God, I might get a chance to meet you. But meeting you was so important to me because I thought you were so cool. I loved you. I loved your band, I loved your music. And then to find out that you are so, so deeply funny. Talented.
Carrie Brownstein
Prolific. Interesting. Yeah.
Amy Poehler
I mean, I don't have a question here. I just want to say, remember that.
Carrie Brownstein
Yes, I. Well, I mean, yeah, you're right. That wasn't a question. But I will. My retort will be that I felt the same. I mean, I was such a big fan of yours, and I think Fred did. There were a lot of people I met through Fred, obviously, like so many people from SNL that I already admired.
Amy Poehler
You and Fred are such partners in so many different. How do you define your relationship? How do you describe your relationship with each other?
Carrie Brownstein
Now, I was thinking about this because it's not romantic. We've never had that kind of relationship. But there is something that is deeply loving in a slightly romantic way. And I mean that because it's kind of heightened in the way that romance is heightened. So it is just a seamless, like, kind of loving, like, heart to heart, but platonic friendship. But it feels like family.
Amy Poehler
How did you two meet?
Carrie Brownstein
We differ on this slightly. The one that we definitely agree on, where we hung out was he was on SNL at this point, Slater Kinney were playing at Irving Plaza in New York, so we weren't able to go to see snl. He invited me and the rest of my band to the show, but because we have this conflict, he said, okay, we'll just come to the after party. And it was 2003. It was Jennifer Garner and Beck were the host and musical guest. And we went to this after party, and Fred came up in the way that he's always magnanimous and friendly. And he was wearing a little button with my face on it, which is from someone else that might be weird. You're like, hi, nice to meet you. Oh, there I am on your shirt. But with Fred, it's just he wears brilliant. Both his heart and his fandom on his sleeve.
Amy Poehler
Totally.
Carrie Brownstein
You know, kind of literally and figuratively. I think that's why he. People just want to be around him because he's just not cynical in that way. So anyway, we hung out that night and then started to just talk about collaborating. I assumed he'd want to do music, and instead he had all these little, like, comedic shorts he wanted to start making with me, which was very surprising and surreal, but just completely based on our friendship. It was very organic. It wasn't like, let's pitch this or let's try to do something, you know, Bigger than it is. It's like, let's just hang out and make little videos. And we did that for years before Portlandia.
Amy Poehler
Yeah. And with Portlandia, did you guys go in and pitch Lauren a Broadway video?
Carrie Brownstein
Well, we did. Eventually, we did. I think it was Fred's manager who then became mine, Tim Sarkis, who said, hey, you guys are really developing this chemistry. There's a whole sensibility here in this series of videos that you've done. And then you kind of have to pitch to Lauren if you're on snl. And Fred thought, there's no way, you know, Lauren's just going to look at this and say, like, okay, good luck. Thank you. No. And instead, Lauren and Andrew Singer, Broadway video, said, yeah, we'd love to be part of this. We got really lucky. And Fred was still on SNL for, like, the first four seasons of the show. So we made a pilot super quickly, and we basically, we said to ifc, you either pick this up now or we just don't do it, because he's got to get back to SNL in September.
Amy Poehler
Both you and Fred were musicians and performers. You're a writer, you're a director, you're an actor. You're also, you know, you go back on tour. Like, this idea that you have to be. The one thing felt like Fred was the embodiment of that at snl. Like, he. He showed up at the show, and I want to talk to him about it, but, you know, his. He was doing. He was interviewing bands as a character. That's how he made a. He made his own show, basically playing like a very kind of rude German interviewer who didn't understand, you know, social protocol. And he would let. And he would. And he would interview musicians and. But he also was in the Blue Man Group before he was like, he has. Yeah, there's, like, kind of like nothing he doesn't want to try. And by being around him, you feel really comfortable trying things, too.
Carrie Brownstein
For sure. He is almost like the Swiss army knife in this way, where you know what the sort of familiar elements are of a Swiss army knife, but he uses them in ways that surprise you. And I just. I can't believe all that he's capable of. I still. I'll be watching something, and I'm like, there's Fred. When did he do this? Like, he's just. He's everywhere, and he can do so many things. Like when. When he'll. When he goes on a show and just decides to do an accent from every 50 states, then you're like, o. I didn't like. He surprises me all the time.
Amy Poehler
You're right. And I kind of want to talk to him about that too, because why. I think that bit is genius. I mean, I really do think Fred is a genius, a comedic genius. But why that bit is especially genius speaks, I think, to the bigger way that Fred participates in his work is he's just making a choice, like whether or not it's the best choice or the most. Like, he's just deciding that that's how people talk from that state. And the comfort that you get knowing that Fred has made a choice is what funny. It's. And it's the same way with any impression that he does or any comedic choice that he makes. He's just in the moment deciding, I'm gonna do it like this. And it's very relaxing.
Carrie Brownstein
Relaxing. He. And there's just this, like, kindness and generosity, I think, because he can be. His taste is actually kind of esoteric, but he makes the audience feel like they don't need to know that stuff. You know, it's. There's something alienating about it. So when he makes a decision, a choice, as you're saying, to, like, pick an accent for Alabama, it doesn't matter. People just think, like, oh, that's something. I trust this because you're just making me feel okay to believe it. You know, he's just. And Fred just really. He believes in it. He believes in comedy. He believes in, like, connecting with people. That's very comforting.
Amy Poehler
Yes, He. He has. He has a specific taste, but he's not a snob.
Carrie Brownstein
He's not a snob, and he doesn't. He really is averse to that.
Amy Poehler
And. And he's one of the few people in my life that, like, he can do an impression of me to me, and it doesn't hurt my feelings. Yes, a lot of impressions. A lot of impressions are like, the things that you don't want to hear people doing that you want to be done behind your back. And the hopes that. But Fred can do impressions of people to them, and they feel seen, but it's got. It's. It's just as fascinating, like, he. He can do that.
Carrie Brownstein
Fred's impression of me. He tells me he can't do my voice, but so what he does is he walks. And I didn't realize until Fred did an impression of me that I'm a treasure I trudge. It's a weird. It's a. But it was inoffensive. And there's also something very Loving about it. Like, you're like, yeah, you. You notice something about me that someone else doesn't. What's his impression of you?
Amy Poehler
His impression of me is like asking kind of the leading question. It's kind of like a suspicious question. It's like a little. But it. I. It delights me. Like when he does it, I just feel so like he, He. That's me. Like you or whatever.
Carrie Brownstein
Yeah. Because what he's pointing out is just that you're curious and you're in. You're. He's pointing out intelligence. Like, that's very flattering. You're like, yeah, I guess I am smart and ask really good questions. Thank you for noticing.
Amy Poehler
Okay, so I asked my. My first guest to give me. Give a question for my second guest. And I was wondering, you probably know so much about Fred. What do you think would be a question maybe he'd want to answer? You'd want to know or that people listening might want to know.
Carrie Brownstein
We touched on this, you know, with just the, like the music stuff. So I guess my question,
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I would
Carrie Brownstein
want him to describe the way that one of his musical heroes, humor, sensibility, playfulness, informed his own comedy. That is something I'm actually curious about.
Amy Poehler
Such a good question.
Carrie Brownstein
I just can't wait to hear your talk with Fred. So I just want to.
Amy Poehler
Carrie, you're the best. Thank you so much for doing this. I really want us to deep dive soon together. I cannot wait for those live shows. I definitely want to go. That sounds so, so fun and I just love spending time with you. Thank you so much for this time.
Carrie Brownstein
Thank you, Amy. Take care. Good to see you.
Amy Poehler
You too. Bye, Carrie.
Fred Armisen
Woo hoo hoo.
Amy Poehler
This episode is brought to you by Visible. Let's be honest. Wireless can feel like a world of traps, expensive bills, hidden fees, and promises that just don't hold up. You start to feel stuck. Don't fall for the trap. Escape to Visible, the ultimate wireless hack. Get unlimited data and hotspot powered by verizon1. All for just $25 a month, taxes and fees included. You heard that, right. Just $25 a month. Get great coverage and a reliable connection with Visible. Switch today@visible.com and start saving on wireless terms apply. See visible.com for plan features and network management details. Oh, my God.
Fred Armisen
Oh, my God.
Amy Poehler
Red and I. Oh, my gosh. We got our khaki on.
Fred Armisen
That is really funny.
Amy Poehler
I kind of. Well, I'm dressing today like one of your. My favorite characters of yours, Nicholas Fane.
Fred Armisen
Aw. But I think, like, we're all starting to dress like we are.
Amy Poehler
I feel like we men and women are all dressing the same, and we're all dressing the same way.
Fred Armisen
Yeah. I forgot what store I went to, but there was like, sort of a department store where all the guys clothes were stuff that, like, all the colors I would like.
Amy Poehler
Yeah.
Fred Armisen
So it's very. It felt very like.
Amy Poehler
And I like to dress pretty masc in general. Like, I feel safe when I'm kind of buttoned up and kind of like. So Fred Armisen is here, and we both have similar colors on today.
Fred Armisen
Yeah. Amy, I can't even begin. I mean, thank you so much for this. I love this. I'm gonna call it a show.
Amy Poehler
Yeah.
Fred Armisen
But I love it, and I can't believe it's happening. I also. I mean, you know, this everyone, like, we could talk forever.
Amy Poehler
I know. I don't even know what we're gonna talk about.
Fred Armisen
Yeah, it's.
Amy Poehler
I know. I was just like, I have notes. And we were going over and I was like, I feel like we could talk about. We could talk about talking on podcasts for an hour and a half.
Fred Armisen
We could like the tone. Cause people's tones do change a little bit.
Amy Poehler
Fred, you are. You're probably talked about more than almost anybody on this podcast. I don't know if you've heard how well you've been spoken of here.
Fred Armisen
It's really. It makes me very happy. It's flattering. It's the nicest thing. It's all people who I love and respect same. It's the best.
Amy Poehler
And you were on the first zoom that Drachi couldn't get her headphones on. You were nice enough to do that. Thank you. One of a million times you have come through and helped me out and not ever been like, what is this?
Fred Armisen
No, but that's easy, because everything you're working on, it just seems like, oh, of course that's going to be great.
Amy Poehler
But not everybody is like that. I mean, I want to talk about it today, but I feel like I learn a lot from the way you approach saying yes to things. And when you're actually there, you're actually there. You're actually a present person, which is pretty hard to be.
Fred Armisen
Thank you. But it's for stuff that I want to do, so that's what that's like most of the, you know, the battle of being there.
Amy Poehler
But I don't even know how to start this conversation because I love it so much. I'm so excited. But okay. I feel like you are a comedic genius. And of all the funny people, of which we know the funniest people, everybody loves you the most and says you're the funniest. And Martin Short told a really sweet anecdote on this where he made him laugh in the moment where you told him that you tricked him into thinking that he said Tony McCartney instead of Paul McCartney, when he introduced Paul McCartney at the SNL 50th. Yeah, I guess. What is it like to make your heroes laugh?
Fred Armisen
Well, first of all, thank you for those really kind words.
Amy Poehler
Well, we need you to live up to it.
Carrie Brownstein
Yeah.
Fred Armisen
Wait. Oh, wait till you see what I do on this. I memorized all these bits to do. It is like, it's gonna sound like it is a mutual thing.
Amy Poehler
Yeah.
Fred Armisen
Like, it's a very. Like, I don't. When I'm around Martin Short, I'm not like, hey, I'm gonna. It's just like. It really does feel like he's so funny. Let's just goof around. It really does feel that way.
Amy Poehler
Yeah.
Fred Armisen
And with the Tony McCartney thing, I thought for sure. I thought he knew just by me talking about it that I was joking.
Amy Poehler
But did he actually get fooled for a second?
Fred Armisen
He got fooled, yeah. Cause I guess it was a very heightened moment. It's like the end that was after goodnights of the 50th. And so it might have just been a moment where he thought it really happened.
Amy Poehler
But that's the thing I love about working with you and knowing you is there's, like, a impish, like, playful side to you. And that never feels mean, but feels very fun. Like, I feel like if shit went down, I want to turn to you, Fred, because I feel like if someone's yelling or if someone's, like, if something uncomfortable is happening, it's fun to turn to you. And when something. If something great is happening, it's fun to turn to you.
Fred Armisen
Yeah, likewise. But I. But I feel like I lean on you, though, because you have a gauge of, like, this is what's really happening. There is one thing you told me when I was thinking of leaving snl, I think I'd already decided that I was leaving snl. And you said. I didn't even ask you, but you're like, don't worry. Lauren always stays in your life. That's what I mean. It's a bigger. It's like a. It's a map. It's like, a little further away. And. And you just know, like, the thing to say.
Amy Poehler
How many years were you on snl? Oh, wow.
Fred Armisen
Yeah. And I remember right at the end, I was just sort of like, you know, trying to decide, and you had already left. So I looked to you as like, what is this?
Amy Poehler
I was just. I mean, there's so many things to talk about. One thing I learned today is, is this true or is the Internet wrong that your full name is Farydom Feridun? Feridun.
Fred Armisen
Yeah, that's my given name.
Amy Poehler
Feridun.
Fred Armisen
Yeah, Fairydun.
Amy Poehler
And it is your father's name?
Fred Armisen
Yep.
Amy Poehler
And it is a Iranian name. But he is German and Korean.
Fred Armisen
Yes.
Amy Poehler
Why does he have an Iranian name?
Fred Armisen
Because his mom in Germany was dating a Persian man at the time when she got pregnant, not by him.
Amy Poehler
So she gave her child her boyfriend's name.
Fred Armisen
Yeah. He chimed in on what his name should be. There were Persian workers in Germany at the time. And, you know, even though it wasn't his baby, she was like, what should I call this kid? And he was like, he came up with that name.
Amy Poehler
You have German descent, Korean descent, Venezuelan. Mom is from Venezuela. Like, and you have an Iranian name even though you don't have any Persian. Like, that is. That's you in a nutshell.
Fred Armisen
That's crazy, Fred.
Amy Poehler
I know. And so then you were just called Fred from when you were a little kid.
Fred Armisen
Yeah. And my dad was as well. When I say it was crazy, I'm not talking about myself. Like, I'm like, amazed. Like, yeah, it's crazy. I mean, more that learning the history of what I thought Germany was like, that there were immigrants there and foreign workers. You know, things are just more complex than I ever learned originally. Or that there was racism against Koreans in Japan.
Amy Poehler
Right.
Fred Armisen
I had no idea.
Amy Poehler
And much like Andy Samberg, who was on here talking about how he did his roots, when you did your roots, you found out that you always thought that your dad was Japanese and you found out or that his relatives were Japanese, you found out they were Korean.
Fred Armisen
Yeah, it was. I was in this room for four hours, you know, as they're opening these books, and it really feels at first, it is disbelief, like, this cannot be true. Have you done it?
Amy Poehler
No, because I'm Irish white. It's not gonna go well. I mean, there's no way.
Fred Armisen
You'll be surprised. You'll be surprised. And that's like. That's also very fun.
Amy Poehler
Yes, I will be surprised. And I mean, it's never gonna go back to something good.
Fred Armisen
What if you're a full blooded Canadian?
Amy Poehler
And people would be. I'd be like, my relatives were from Canada. Like, but when you Were growing up. You have German and Korean dad. What you thought was Japanese, but Korean. You have Venezuelan mom. How did you identify culturally?
Fred Armisen
Venezuelan.
Amy Poehler
Venezuelan.
Fred Armisen
My dad's from East Germany, which means that it was communist Germany at the time. So we had no relatives around us.
Amy Poehler
Right.
Fred Armisen
And with Venezuela, the relatives are over all the time. We grew up traveling there. So it was a. A distant relationship with Germany.
Amy Poehler
And you could speak. You were like, could speak Spanish from when you were young. Like, you just learned your mom speak Spanish in the home.
Fred Armisen
That was a lucky thing.
Amy Poehler
Yeah.
Fred Armisen
Because at the time, I didn't appreciate it. Of course. Why we have to. What is this?
Amy Poehler
Yeah.
Fred Armisen
And then now it's just like.
Amy Poehler
And also, like, you know, a lot of, like, first. You know, first generation, like, didn't always speak there. They wanted to speak English in the home to try to. But your mom spoke both.
Fred Armisen
She did, and she kept it going, thankfully. And I still write to her, like, if there are things that I'm like, what is the Spanish word for this? It's great. She's helped me a lot of SNL stuff. A lot of cold opens and stuff.
Amy Poehler
One of the nice things about working at SNL is, like, you just meet people's parents because over the years, they come to the show. You're just like.
Fred Armisen
You see, like, when you were talking about the name Polar, I pictured your dad, and he's always like. He's got, like, a smirk.
Amy Poehler
Oh, my God. He's always like, my dad. My parents are such fans of Fred Armisen.
Fred Armisen
Well, I'm a fan of theirs.
Amy Poehler
We always had our relatives there, and, like, we were always hosting family, and it was like, you would go to sit at the table, and your mom, who I have such warm feelings for when I think about is you guys look a lot alike.
Fred Armisen
Yeah.
Amy Poehler
Like, really? You kind of have her face.
Fred Armisen
Yeah.
Amy Poehler
But you. So, okay, so Freddie, little Freddie growing
Fred Armisen
up in Long Island a little bit, and then Brazil a little bit.
Amy Poehler
Right.
Fred Armisen
For a couple years.
Amy Poehler
Couple years in Brazil.
Fred Armisen
Yeah.
Amy Poehler
How old when you went to Brazil?
Fred Armisen
That was like, first, second, second, and third grade.
Amy Poehler
Okay. So do you remember what it was like?
Fred Armisen
Oh, yeah.
Amy Poehler
Arriving in Brazil, what it was it like?
Fred Armisen
I just wanted to be home. I was homesick.
Amy Poehler
Yeah.
Fred Armisen
So now I can color the story with, like, oh, it was so exotic and there were drums everywhere. But at the time, I just wanted to, like, I just wanted to be with my friends back in Long Island.
Amy Poehler
It's so true, though. You're right. Like, we look back at stuff and we're like, it Was such an amazing experience. And, like, when. When I would travel, I'd be like,
Fred Armisen
this food is weird. I hate this place. The word hate got used so much. I hate it. I hate it. I must have said that most of the time. I hate it here.
Amy Poehler
Were you sad when you had to move back, or were you, like, had you gotten used to it?
Fred Armisen
I had gotten used to it, but I don't know if I was sad. I think I was okay moving back.
Amy Poehler
You were ready to go back.
Fred Armisen
Yeah.
Amy Poehler
So then you go back to Long Island, Then you think about going to college for visual arts.
Fred Armisen
Yeah. That took a while. That was more like, went back to Long island, went to high school there.
Amy Poehler
Yeah.
Fred Armisen
And then I really had it in my head that I wanted to be in a band. So the common way to go is to go to art school.
Amy Poehler
So then why is it. Why is it a common way to get in a band is to go to art school? You just want to be around artists and just like.
Fred Armisen
Yeah, like, all my favorites. That was Talking Heads. The Beatles were all like, art school. I don't know what it is like, but I'm glad I did it. I mean, did you.
Amy Poehler
Did you think you were gonna be like, was it, like, a medium that you were into working with? Like, did you. Were you painting or.
Fred Armisen
You know what, photography.
Amy Poehler
It was.
Fred Armisen
It was. I went for film.
Amy Poehler
Yeah.
Fred Armisen
And to be honest. Oh, people say to be honest so much. I hate that I just said that.
Amy Poehler
Oh, my God. Everything I say in this podcast, to
Fred Armisen
be honest, I don't think I was really drawn to it because I went to school with, like, filmmakers.
Amy Poehler
Yeah.
Fred Armisen
And they would talk about it so much, and I'd be like, why are we actually talking about this? They would talk about editing, and I'm like, we're supposed to get good grades, but we're not supposed to, like, talk
Amy Poehler
all day about this stuff.
Fred Armisen
And that's the difference in, like, a passion for doing something. I thought it was like, no, we're just going to art school to be an art school.
Amy Poehler
And that's so true. That's such a good distinction, as you realize you don't have a passion for something when you. You see other people wanting to spend all day, every day doing it, and you're like, we're gonna do other things. Right.
Fred Armisen
Yeah, that was exactly that.
Amy Poehler
And so then you meet your bandmates at art school.
Fred Armisen
Yes.
Amy Poehler
And you're in a band called Trench Mouth. And Trench Mouth is like, what, 1988 Chicago.
Fred Armisen
That's right.
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More.
Fred Armisen
More like 8990 is when it really took. Took, took shape.
Amy Poehler
So let's just. For the heck of it, let's listen to a little Trench Mountain.
Fred Armisen
Let's go back.
Amy Poehler
Let's go back. Do you still remember how to play this?
Fred Armisen
Yeah.
Amy Poehler
This photo of you guys is so. Of this era. You guys are all in front of a. You're a VW in front of a VW van. I'm just being like, yeah. I don't even know how we got here.
Fred Armisen
We loved being on tour.
Amy Poehler
Okay. And we love that van. What was it like playing? Like, was that feeling?
Fred Armisen
The feeling was like, it's like a campaign. Like, we're gonna do it. We're gonna drop our jobs. We're gonna do it. This band did it. This band did it. Go. What's the gig? Des Moines, Iowa. Great. No money. Fine. Go, go, go. Fill the tank. You know, like, we kept the van running and clean and it was like being boy Scouts and, you know, packing up the drums. Come on, come on. Lifting and putting things on. What time are we going on? Let's all dress in black for this. Great. Let's all dress in white. Great. Everything. Energy, like, energy of like, it's us.
Amy Poehler
Yeah.
Fred Armisen
How'd you like that? But they were awesome. Let's do it. Let's exchange information with them. Didn't like that band so much. That's okay. They're lame. I don't want to be like them.
Amy Poehler
Right.
Fred Armisen
A lot of, like, looking up to bands. Like, that's the way to go.
Amy Poehler
Who were you looking up to at the time?
Fred Armisen
Like Lungfish? No means no. Fugazi. Jawbox Nation of Ulysses. We looked up at these like, we. They. Because they were also really, like, possessed. They were possessed with. With this thing. How much longer can we be on the road? Go, go. It was just this. And then playing. As you hear with this music, everything. Come on. There's a change here and another change and louder. And everything was kind of mathematical. This wasn't like jam out music.
Amy Poehler
Right?
Fred Armisen
Let's enjoy. How about something. There was no groove.
Amy Poehler
I laugh. And I love that. Like, the. The feelings that I remember in that. At that age where you would argue about, like, something for hours. Like you had the luxury of time.
Fred Armisen
Oh, yes.
Amy Poehler
Like, you just would just, like. You know, I remember thinking about, like, jokes we would write or whatever. And would we just spend hours talking about it? And it was so important. And it was so important and like, just the energy of getting everything right.
Fred Armisen
God, that.
Amy Poehler
Did you guys have, like. Were you an arguing band?
Fred Armisen
You know? A couple normal arguments. But what you're talking about, about those discussions, they would go into the night. Well, as it's getting dark, as we're driving, everything's getting dark. And we're still like, but that's not. That's not what punk is then. Or by your definition, that's not what it is. Well, that's not what I'm saying. And then silence. And then the endless, endless. And into. You know, I get, like, the feeling it's giving me now of like, I remember that. Like, it's like you have a flag in your head. You're like, no, this is the way it's gotta be.
Amy Poehler
Yes. And very, like. I mean, so much of it, I feel like in your 20s is like rejecting some version that you think if you're not careful, you'll turn into.
Fred Armisen
Yes.
Amy Poehler
And playing punk is such a true expression of that. Of, like, being like, I'm not gonna be that person.
Fred Armisen
Absolutely.
Amy Poehler
I always find that interesting that, like, bands have to keep reinvesting in the band, like, every couple years. Like, And I can relate because it felt that way with, like, sketch. Like, you were in a group and you were like, no, let's. And then, you know, certain people would, like, get opportunities and you'd have to decide, like, no, I'm doubling down, I'm staying with the band. And then you'd see other success happening. And you think, like, it's because we're not. Like, it was like, we need to be more committed for that success to happen. But sometimes that isn't always the case. It's so.
Fred Armisen
It's exactly that. It's so funny. So you went through the same thing
Amy Poehler
I did with ucb because we had to, you know, we were like, you know, we were, like, doing shows and people were trying to, you know, cherry pick us or, like, and you had to just keep. Like, you had to just keep, like, renewing the contract.
Fred Armisen
Yeah. Or renewing the goal.
Amy Poehler
Yeah, renewing the goal.
Fred Armisen
Now, as long as we're this now, if we get on this label or whatever.
Amy Poehler
And we were in Chicago at the same time, like, all that, like, Smashing Pumpkins, Liz Bear, like, ah, so cool.
Fred Armisen
So cool.
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Amy Poehler
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Fred Armisen
Oh, well, you know, I have to give credit to my wife at the time, Sally. She's in this band, the Mekons, and she was kind of a little bit like, if you're gonna do stuff, you have to sort of open up to not just being in this one band. They were coming to Chicago and I auditioned. I went to this rehearsal space.
Amy Poehler
What was it? Were you just drumming for the audition? Is that all? Did you have to do anything else?
Fred Armisen
I was drumming and they were like, there were other musicians there kind of playing and they were. They did a thing where they're like, do a fill but don't end on the one. So usually, you know, you'll, you know, you do a fill and it's like a resolve is very predictable. They're like, make it a little. Which is kind of like what Trench Mouth was like. Anyway. It was a little jagged. So then I got it. Then they had a series of drummers, different rotations of bands, and it was like my first showbiz paycheck.
Amy Poehler
What was it like? Was it like a Broadway run? You had to be performing all the time. Did you rotated?
Fred Armisen
I rotated. So there was a full time drummer and I would play like two or three shows a week or something out of whatever, eight. What was it like? It was fantastic.
Amy Poehler
What was your favorite part? I've never. I never saw the Blue Man Group, but I was. They were such a big, humongous.
Fred Armisen
Pull it up.
Amy Poehler
Let's pull it up. Is there footage of you in the Blue Man Group? I wonder.
Fred Armisen
I wonder.
Amy Poehler
But what was your favorite part of the show? You know how, like, it's always like, oh, I like that song. Oh, I like that moment.
Fred Armisen
I like when the open. The opening. So, like, the opening, like the first, there's just three blue men on these paint drums, and they do their own thing. And then the band kicks in when they're done. And it was great because we were lit by blue. You know, those black light.
Amy Poehler
Yeah.
Fred Armisen
And so we had, like, stick figure drawings on us on our costumes. And there's a stick player, a zither player. So we'd start playing. And that was just like. It really felt like a big, proper beginning of a show. Very loud, huge drum kit. Huge.
Amy Poehler
Really?
Fred Armisen
Yeah. I went through training for it. I trained a little bit in Boston, in New York, and it made my drumming better. It was really frenetic and crazy, and I really loved it. I learned a lot.
Amy Poehler
And the dumb question but, like, is, like, what was the makeup application and removal like?
Fred Armisen
Well, for me, for people who don't
Amy Poehler
remember, you had to paint yourself blue.
Fred Armisen
Yeah. But the band didn't. The band we had. We had, like. We painted stick. Yeah. Like, sort of, you know, on our hands and, like.
Amy Poehler
But easy to get off.
Fred Armisen
Easy to get off with water. The blue men had, like, a bald cap that went over their ears and layers of, like, glow in the dark paint, then blue paint.
Amy Poehler
Wow.
Fred Armisen
And they had a lot. They had, like, blue gloves on. That was a real ordeal. And then the rest of the time, they would walk around with, like. They'd always have a little blue in there, nose and ears. And they were, like, interesting people. You know, they're like all kind of, I would say, like, juggler, performance artist, athlete, those types. Like, those perfect, you know, like, perfectly fit people.
Amy Poehler
Yes.
Fred Armisen
Who also drummed. So they were really great to be around.
Amy Poehler
Okay. So then you do that, and then there's so much that happens after that. But you create this video series that pre SNL that is a version of a character that you played interviewing musicians. And you kind of play this, like, hilarious German interviewer who knows nothing about the bands.
Fred Armisen
Yeah. Or is very mean to bands because we experienced it all the time. And I don't think they meant to be mean. I think they just. That's their way they are, is that they would always tell us how poorly we were doing. You know, they'd always say, like, oh, your group is not so good. Fugazi was here a week ago and it was very crowded, and it's not so crowded today. And it was just based on that.
Amy Poehler
It was so genius because it didn't expect much of the musicians. Like, the musicians could just kind of play it real. And you were steering like you were doing the comedy, basically. But what was so fun is watching all these musicians who. And realizing that a lot of them were very naturally funny. That, like, that was so fun is watching them make choices with your character.
Fred Armisen
Yes. Steve Albini did it. A bunch of people. Bob from Pavement. Yeah, I got. It was. I just put a video together in it.
Amy Poehler
I mean, that was back when you just, like, filmed it and made a.
Fred Armisen
Ask someone to edit it. Can you edit this? No concept of money, you know, just like.
Amy Poehler
Can you do it?
Fred Armisen
Yeah. And then they did it, and then
Amy Poehler
they gave it back to you and you carried it around.
Fred Armisen
Thank you. And then that's. That's what existed.
Amy Poehler
I mean, to, like, age us. I don't know if this was, like, when you started in 2003, but in 2001 at SNL, there was still. When we wanted to do an impression, you'd have to go vhs. Get a VHS tape.
Fred Armisen
Yep. Can you believe it? No.
Amy Poehler
And they'd tape it off the Today show or tv, and then you'd get a big, bulky tape that you would. And you put in a VCR and you'd watch, like, six minutes of whatever thing that they had, and they'd have tapes and tapes of people that you were impersonating.
Fred Armisen
This is so funny talking to you about all this, because I've. You don't need to put this in. But, like, I've known you for so long.
Amy Poehler
I know.
Fred Armisen
And to talk about Blue Man Group actually makes me, like. It jumps like a track in my head of like. Oh, yeah. We've never talked about Blue Man Group.
Amy Poehler
We've never talked about it. We talked about it very briefly. But everybody's road to where they get is so circuitous. Like, one different change and we're not where we are. But I would say, Freddie, more than anyone I know, you know that every day. Like, you really know every day. Like, I can't believe I got here. Like, you say it. You live your life that way.
Fred Armisen
Yeah.
Amy Poehler
Like what? Like, what are we doing here?
Fred Armisen
Every bit of it.
Amy Poehler
Yeah.
Fred Armisen
Standing on that stage auditioning for snl that already felt like, this is insane. That whatever from Blue Man Group to be here in front of Tina.
Amy Poehler
Yeah. How'd you get the audition?
Fred Armisen
Through Marcy Klein.
Amy Poehler
Yeah. Producer on the show. Marcy Klein.
Fred Armisen
She found a video of, like, all the stuff that I'd done.
Amy Poehler
Yeah.
Fred Armisen
And she made Lauren watch it. And then they called me in.
Amy Poehler
Wow.
Fred Armisen
Insane.
Amy Poehler
And you were like, you know, 30 what, when you auditioned three.
Fred Armisen
32. Yeah.
Amy Poehler
You were 33, and I was 30 when I got the show. And I just wonder, like, there's something about having a little bit of life before that really helped.
Fred Armisen
I appreciated it so much because. Also, because I'd been through being in the band for so long, so that. I mean, it, like, it all felt like icing. The whole thing felt like, ah, this is. I was just in the van, you know, like, whatever. Maybe five years before that, it felt very. Like, this is all. Even with, like, the money part of it.
Amy Poehler
Yeah.
Fred Armisen
Where some people would say, like, that's not a lot to get paid for your first year. I was like, are you kidding me? To me, it was so much money.
Amy Poehler
Yeah.
Fred Armisen
To me, it felt like a million dollars.
Amy Poehler
Yeah. Yeah.
Fred Armisen
And it was a million dollars.
Amy Poehler
And it was a million dollars. Fred insisted on a million dollars a week, and it almost took the show down.
Fred Armisen
I asked, but I asked really nicely. I was like, please. Come on. Come on. Give me a break.
Amy Poehler
Come on, man. Come on, Lauren.
Fred Armisen
Give me a break. Come on. It's just me.
Amy Poehler
It's me, your friend Fred.
Fred Armisen
Spend it. Come on, Lauren. Look at me, buddy.
Amy Poehler
You're like, all right. I feel like a lot of people that got on SNL have, like, evidence when they were younger of, like, see you on snl or, like, writing in their journals. Like, was it a dream? Growing up, did you watch the show and think, I want to be on it?
Fred Armisen
The relationship I had to SNL was. I watched it all the time.
Amy Poehler
Yeah.
Fred Armisen
But I really connected to the B52s and Devo and Talking Heads, like. And I'm not saying it in a way that's like, hey, I just only like the bands. I'm saying that, like, Lauren was communicating with me, these bands that he had on. I did feel like I. There's something I understood about the show and then, like, Mr. Bill and every. Like, the sketches, but also, like, the bands on there. I was like, that must be fun.
Amy Poehler
Yes.
Fred Armisen
That kind of was like. And then as the years went on, when Mike Myers was on was more of a. Like, I felt like that was a direct message of, like, there's gotta be some way to. I felt like we were speaking the same language. Ooh.
Amy Poehler
Have you ever told Mike Myers that?
Fred Armisen
I think I might have told him.
Amy Poehler
Yeah. But that's a good way to put it.
Fred Armisen
Yeah. Like, that sketch, Sprockets, yeah. Was a favorite sketch of mine. Before I'd even seen it. Someone described it, and I was like, what is going on? Over there.
Amy Poehler
So then you make. You're on snl. You like. Some of my most fun memories of being on that show is doing bits with you when we weren't on, when we weren't on camera. And the in between. Ness of that job, like, I'll never have anything like it. The talk about luxury of time. Like, just the amount of time wasted. Not even wasted amount of time. The amount of time, like, thinking about sketches and talking about stuff and fucking around, basically, which is, like, the most. Which is like. That was the preciousness of it.
Fred Armisen
Oh, that's the. I have a million memories of it, too, and of you. For me to even describe bits you've done, it doesn't do it justice.
Amy Poehler
I knew I was gonna describe all your bits, and that was like. It's, like, inside jokey.
Fred Armisen
Yeah. It's, like, too difficult to even. But I remember, like, voices and faces you've done who knows where in some dressing room somewhere for no reason. And it's the funniest times of my life.
Carrie Brownstein
Same.
Amy Poehler
And what I love about and always loved about playing around with you is. And I'm just gonna say it, Freddie, I do think that you and I share this, which is we definitely liked. We wanted to not forget that we were having a good time. Like, we really. It matters to us. It matters to us that we don't forget the joy part and all of the other hard stuff. We don't love a complainer. No, you and I do not love a complainer.
Fred Armisen
That's a real crime.
Amy Poehler
If SNL is a microcosm of life, you can spend your whole life figuring out what you don't have. It doesn't matter how much you have. You can focus on what you don't have.
Fred Armisen
You sure can.
Amy Poehler
And the more you talk about what you don't have, the more you.
Fred Armisen
It's wild. I know I've met some real complainers, and it's really shocking.
Amy Poehler
It is really interesting when I'm complaining, because we always. We all complain. But when I find myself complaining in my, like, ooh, something's off. Yes, something's off. Like, not other people. I'm off.
Fred Armisen
I'm trying to get better at spotting it because sometimes you fool yourself into you. Like, this isn't really a complaint. And like, well, that might actually be a complaint.
Amy Poehler
But I don't think of you. I don't think of you as conflict. Diverse. But you don't love conflict.
Fred Armisen
No.
Amy Poehler
So let's say you're doing. Let's say you're getting ready for Your tour. And, like, the light is light. The light aren't working the way you want them to work, and you don't. And you're like, hey, can we adjust the lights? And it still isn't working. What do you do next?
Fred Armisen
I. Let's say
Amy Poehler
so, Fred, you have a very intense light show. And you're like, here's how the lights go. And then you've run it, and the lights aren't working. And you're like, okay. And then. Okay, I'm just gonna talk out this thought experiment. And then the show happened. And you're like, just make sure that the blues come up at the right time. They don't. What do you do?
Fred Armisen
Oh, well, if it's hour to hour, day to day, it's gone. I really do feel treat it like a page that's turned. I'm like, oh, that didn't work out. But to your point, let's say if I'm being asked too much. You okay? All good.
Amy Poehler
See, we're very.
Fred Armisen
You know. And I'm like, how do you tell
Amy Poehler
someone I know exactly? Because I've done it. This is where Fred and I are a little different. I've said, I notice you're asking me a lot. Fred hates this. This is where. Because I don't think you like this direct conflict.
Fred Armisen
I envy it. I wish I could do it.
Amy Poehler
I wish I could be a little less direct. Cause sometimes I feel like it comes on too strong. But I would say I'm noticing that you're asking Fred. So uncomfortable. I've said, okay. I think about it, like, when I'm in, like, getting my. Let's say you're getting your hair. Like, I'm getting my hair done for a scene. And, you know, if you're doing. Like, if you're doing a couple days in a new show that new people, they don't exactly know what you like, and they're trying to, like, you know, figure out, like. Or they're giving you a hairdo or whatever. I've had very nice people be like. Like, just checking in. Do you like, is this working? You know? And I'll say, I notice that you're asking a lot. I promise you I won't suffer. If I don't like something, you'll know. If I don't like something, I'll let you know. But I have to nip it in the bud because it makes me insane. Because. Are you okay? Are you okay? Are you mad? Are you okay? Makes me nuts. It makes you nuts, too. But what do you do instead for
Fred Armisen
me, I just sort of. I know that, I know that it's temporary. And I think, well, the next tour that person isn't. They'll be on, they'll be doing that to somebody else and maybe that other person loves it. I'm not saying that the way that I do it is correct.
Amy Poehler
Same.
Fred Armisen
I just sort of gently, like, if it's like on water, like the little boat just goes the other way. I'm like.
Amy Poehler
And you go, shh.
Fred Armisen
I'm okay now. I'm okay. And then they, then they're off. Yeah, but I'm like, I can get my own things. I can get my water. I can get to be asked if you know. Yeah, but now that sounded like complaining. That was very complaining of me.
Amy Poehler
No, that was not complaining of you. You never ever complained. That would be a funny sketch you should have done where you were like the head of the complaint department and you were like, what, are you joking? You have a complaint, you got a
Fred Armisen
job in show business and there's a problem of some kind of.
Amy Poehler
God. It's true, though. And that's what's fun about working at a place like SNL is you have someone come through every week is a new guest. They're really vulnerable. When people are vulnerable, they're kind of. They're like. A lot of stuff comes up and when people are scared, they get. They act all different kinds of ways. And you kind of see like this very human moment where people feel vulnerable and sometimes they misbehave.
Fred Armisen
Oh, yes.
Amy Poehler
And it's like. And also, often they're. Often they're great. Often they're great.
Fred Armisen
You don't have to put this in. You probably won't. But you. Your reaction to some hosts. Oh, my God, it's delicious. It's the best thing in the world. Like, you really.
Amy Poehler
I'm like, you said this.
Fred Armisen
Not even like, actually. And you're not insulting to them.
Amy Poehler
You just.
Fred Armisen
In a way that is so good. You're like. But then I don't know. And I'm like, oh, that's exactly what's happening.
Amy Poehler
I mean, people are audacious.
Fred Armisen
Yeah.
Amy Poehler
Outrageous.
Fred Armisen
Outrageous. I mean, and people ask, like in interviews, like, who's been the worst host, the best? And I always keep it same.
Amy Poehler
I would.
Fred Armisen
What am I gonna.
Amy Poehler
Yeah, that's the most low hanging.
Fred Armisen
Like, why.
Amy Poehler
Yeah, why would I ever say that? But I have a lot of thoughts.
Fred Armisen
Yeah. Oh, yeah.
Amy Poehler
I have a lot of thoughts. And I do. I. I mean, I've actually tried to work on it. Because I like. That's my stuff is like, I like to be like, pay attention to, like, detective y. Like, you know, like. Like, I hate that part of myself that's very, like, you did it right, you did it wrong. But no, little something. I pay attention.
Fred Armisen
Yeah. Yeah, you do.
Amy Poehler
And I. And I won't for, like, I remember. I'm like, I remember you were not very nice, or I remember that you were very late.
Fred Armisen
Tina has a good memory for that stuff, too.
Amy Poehler
Tina. Tina.
Fred Armisen
That's.
Amy Poehler
Tina and I. That we're like, yummy food.
Fred Armisen
We're just like, yum, yum, yum, yum,
Amy Poehler
yum, yum, yum, yum, yum. That's our favorite food. We're like, oh, we love it. So. And that's what I mean is bad behavior is sometimes kind of fun because I'm like, holy shit. My favorite feeling sometimes in the world is when someone's acting badly and you can feel everybody else, like, watching them and just like, I can't wait to talk about this.
Fred Armisen
It's like telepathy. And it's almost like everyone's waiting for the moment to be done. Everyone's like, let this finish out until
Amy Poehler
you get electricity and no one's looking at each other. Everyone's like, like, huh? And you're just like, I'm just trying to remember every moment.
Fred Armisen
Yeah.
Amy Poehler
So I can. I know.
Fred Armisen
And try to have, like, a face that's like, oh. And then.
Amy Poehler
I know. But I. But in general, like. And I think you would say the same thing, like, every. I found people to be awesome to work with and, like, incredible. Who did you meet on SNL that, like, you just think about now and you're just like, they just met what you thought they'd be like. Like, you just. You think about them and love them.
Fred Armisen
Do you mean, like, host anyone?
Amy Poehler
Hosts or people that came in to do a bit or old cast members? Like, for example. I'll give you one right now. I didn't really know Lorraine Newman that well and hung out with her at the 50th. Fuck. She's so cool.
Fred Armisen
She's so cool.
Amy Poehler
I knew she would be cool. And I didn't really get a chance very much to talk to her over the years. And she's the fucking coolest.
Fred Armisen
She is the coolest.
Amy Poehler
Excuse my language.
Fred Armisen
That's okay. Lorne.
Amy Poehler
Yes. You and Lauren had a really. You have a very sweet relationship. How would you define it?
Fred Armisen
How would you say both fans. I think he's a fan as well. Whenever he describes. Because I Grill him all the time on musical guests. He is. He. You know how some people are like, I don't know what you're talking about. Yeah, he knows what I'm talking about.
Amy Poehler
Who do you talk like? I mean, there's. There was that amazing Questlove doc about all the musical guests, but if you can remember, like, who were, like, the. You know, I'm thinking of, like, Elvis Costello's performance. The Specials.
Fred Armisen
The Specials was the best thing I've ever seen of a musical.
Amy Poehler
Why was this?
Fred Armisen
Because for me, I'm from Long island, you know, so we were like, long Island. And everyone had kind of, like, longer hair and these guys with these little suits and crew cuts. This, like, energetic band running off the stage when they were done, I. That. Really.
Amy Poehler
Hold on. I. I want to watch it again with you right now. I have a laptop.
Fred Armisen
I've watched it so much. There's a song called Gangsters that I wonder if you'll find it.
Amy Poehler
It's right here.
Fred Armisen
Look at the drummer is, like, back straight, Jumping around, holding a machine gun.
Amy Poehler
Yeah, they're so cool. Did you like drummers that played like this?
Fred Armisen
Yeah, I like. Clem Burke was that way. Really good. Really good posture. Clem Burke from Blondie? The Blondie drummer. My favorite drummer ever.
Carrie Brownstein
Really?
Fred Armisen
Oh, yeah. And really, like, my suit. I think he had a turtleneck on snl. Just really, like, you know, placed on the drum throne. Loved it. And Blondie was great on SNL. Devo and the B52s. Really, like, that was like. I remember that was the first moment of, like, oh, there are weirdos in the world.
Amy Poehler
Yes. And, like, talk about full circle. At the SNL 50th, you get to play with B52s. And Devo.
Fred Armisen
And Devo.
Amy Poehler
What was that like?
Fred Armisen
It was like the top. Like, the very crystallized top of a mountain. Like, it's almost scary. Cause I was like, that's it?
Amy Poehler
Yeah. You're like, I'm gonna have a heart attack.
Fred Armisen
It felt that way. I was like, that's all right. That is the very, like, you know that shows at Radio City Music Hall. I had seen Devo when I was 14 at Radio City Music Hall. I had paid for tickets to see them and. And also getting to meet them. They're great people. Being friends with them. It's like, it really. Yeah, those two. That was unreal. And also on snl, not at some gig. Not at some show somewhere. Like, hey, I got up on snl. Yeah, it's everything at once.
Amy Poehler
Yeah.
Fred Armisen
I can't Believe it.
Amy Poehler
Yeah. Okay. So now I want to just get on to a new section, but the person that will help us get to this section is Carrie Brownstein, because we talked to her today.
Fred Armisen
You did?
Amy Poehler
Yes. You know, I was saying this to Carrie, but maybe you can speak to this too. Like, your relationship with Carrie is very special. How do you define your relationship with her?
Fred Armisen
She's like. She's my soulmate. She is a person who I feel like I've known forever. I don't mean to speak in those terms. I know that you know those, like, sort of spiritual terms, but it does feel spiritual, and it's immediate. It's just a feeling I had as soon as I met her. And every time I talk to her, it feels the same. I'm completely stripped of being worried if I'm boring or talking too much or anything. I'm completely, completely myself around her, and it's always been that way. And I just love her so much, and I'm really into everything she does. When I watch her play guitar, I'm like, there's nothing better than watching her play guitar and sing and then getting. She's so smart and so funny that I feel like getting to do that show with her was just.
Amy Poehler
Just.
Fred Armisen
That was a lucky thing. But that keeps going. We just keep.
Amy Poehler
It's so. It, like, remains like it. It has such a life. Portlandia. And those characters in Portlandia are so fun, are so specific, and therefore feel so universal.
Fred Armisen
God, it was the best. I got to hang out with her all the time. We got. She's a great writer.
Amy Poehler
She's such a.
Fred Armisen
Not that you need me to tell you that, but so funny. Brilliant. And she came up with, like, a lot of those ideas that are now sort of things that people repeat. Put a bird on it and all that stuff is like. That's all Carrie.
Amy Poehler
Okay, Carrie said, describe the way one of your musical heroes informed your comedy.
Fred Armisen
Oh, that's easy. David Byrne. The way that he would direct a movie and then sort of choreograph part of his show. Like, the way that he presented everything to me was, like, that really informed. Like, you know what a comedian can be like. There was a way that he was, like, not exactly making a joke, but also not being totally serious. That whatever that was.
Amy Poehler
Right.
Fred Armisen
Really? I was like, that's a really great way to be.
Amy Poehler
Like, a playfulness. And he kind of also. He was also, like, I guess not afraid to. He, like, wasn't trying to be cool at all.
Fred Armisen
Nope.
Amy Poehler
But he was very cool.
Fred Armisen
Yeah. Just the Way, like, for no reason. I have a fuzzy suit or something,
Amy Poehler
so I'm gonna do a rapid fire. Tell me what you think about these things or what you remember. You can be as fast or as slow as you want. Freddie, you do many accents really well. And one of the things I love about you is you can do accents from anywhere. What are some of your favorite state or countries like that you like hearing?
Fred Armisen
I really love how Texas just really. It just changes from city to city.
Amy Poehler
Yeah.
Fred Armisen
There's something about it that. There's something about Texas that has so much varying personality.
Amy Poehler
Yes.
Fred Armisen
That always. That does exceed my expectations.
Amy Poehler
So with that in mind, can you please do someone from Houston and someone from Dallas.
Fred Armisen
Houston, I feel like, has got a whisper to it. Houston. Some people I know from there are going through some personal growth. Personal growth. Dallas. I always. My idea about them is that they're kind of businesslike. I hear them on planes, on a conference call. I had been. I was on a layover. We know someone from Beaumont, and that's kind of. Beaumont's the biggest I've ever heard. I can't imagine. They're like. There's a little Y before imagining longest words. Yeah.
Amy Poehler
And then countries. Can you do Iceland?
Fred Armisen
Iceland.
Amy Poehler
Iceland. Iceland.
Fred Armisen
Iceland has a whisper to it. Iceland has hushed. You're pushing to the throat.
Amy Poehler
I think it's like.
Fred Armisen
It's very light. I feel like Sweden is so devoid of accent that I hear people from Sweden and they sound almost like they're American. They sound like. I don't love that the door is closing right now. There's like, this thing where they no longer are Swedish people.
Amy Poehler
Yes, you're right.
Fred Armisen
There's this thing where they're, like, so casual with English that I actually feel like I'm talking to someone.
Amy Poehler
But you know what gives the Swedes away is the.
Fred Armisen
Yeah.
Amy Poehler
That is the Swedish thing people don't know is, you know, instead of going, uh, huh, huh, Swedes go.
Fred Armisen
That's true.
Amy Poehler
And you hear them on the phone, and you just always think they're getting the worst news.
Fred Armisen
Yeah.
Amy Poehler
But they're just saying, huh, huh, huh.
Fred Armisen
Yeah.
Amy Poehler
That is
Fred Armisen
because their face doesn't change.
Amy Poehler
No. Okay. What do you like to do when you travel?
Fred Armisen
Oh, wake up early, have breakfast, coffee alone. Just down in the restaurant.
Amy Poehler
Yes.
Fred Armisen
Not room service.
Amy Poehler
Okay.
Fred Armisen
I love. Then I really feel like I'm in a country. So I've, like, landed somewhere. That's my. I can't wait for breakfast.
Amy Poehler
Breakfast.
Fred Armisen
Oh, I love it.
Amy Poehler
And then. You want it. Then. Do you try, like, let's say you're doing a show in another country. Do you walk during the.
Fred Armisen
Not that much. I kind of stick around. Like, hotel. Maybe there's a little store of some kind. I'm not a big. Like, I'm gonna go explore this side of the city. I'm a little bit like. I get the. By the way, this is an ignorant thing to say, and I'm sorry, but I just kind of like, this seems like Berlin.
Amy Poehler
Okay. And then what do you hate doing when you travel? What do you. What do you not do? Like, do you ever check a bag?
Fred Armisen
I try not to, but sometimes you do. Sometimes you have. Yeah, Sometimes you have to. But, no, I'm pretty good about it. I travel pretty light.
Amy Poehler
Got it.
Fred Armisen
But I did a tour recently, and I did have to bring some equipment.
Amy Poehler
Okay, Got it. Broad City.
Fred Armisen
Oh, yeah.
Amy Poehler
That was so fun, Amy. That's true. And parks. I mean, we discussed.
Fred Armisen
People talk to me about Broad City all the time. All the time. When I. Everywhere I go, someone brings it up. Some people do it as a deep cut. They think they're like, I'm actually a real fan.
Amy Poehler
Yeah.
Fred Armisen
Which is great.
Amy Poehler
Yeah. But, oh, my God, Fred came and did the first episode of Broad City, which was a huge get for us.
Fred Armisen
And I've seen people dressed up as it. As Halloween.
Amy Poehler
As the baby.
Fred Armisen
Yep.
Amy Poehler
I'm just a baby.
Fred Armisen
Little mustache.
Amy Poehler
Yeah.
Fred Armisen
Thanks for that. Thank you very much for that.
Amy Poehler
You're so welcome. That I could put you in a diaper and make you a Halloween costume.
Fred Armisen
Oh, for real? Thank you for that. That was like. That really kept on going.
Amy Poehler
Okay. Dogs or cats?
Fred Armisen
Cats.
Amy Poehler
Interesting. I didn't know that. No doubt. Like, just. No thank you to dogs.
Fred Armisen
When we first met, the first thing I told you, I was like, cats. FYI, cats. I just met Lauren. Cats. You know that, right? I love cats.
Amy Poehler
I mean, that makes sense that you would. That you're a cat person. I feel like you're more of a cat. You are more of a cat than a dog. As a person, I would say, although you have a lot of dog qualities because you're very loyal and friendly, but you are a cat.
Fred Armisen
I like how they don't ask anything and they sort of.
Amy Poehler
They don't.
Fred Armisen
That's their own. Yeah. Their own business.
Amy Poehler
Yeah. Sweet or salty?
Fred Armisen
Sweet.
Amy Poehler
That you say that.
Fred Armisen
I wish. I wish it wasn't that way.
Amy Poehler
Salty's not good either.
Fred Armisen
I don't believe that.
Amy Poehler
I don't either. I think salty is better.
Fred Armisen
I think when people say that salt causes health problems, I never believe it, but it does. I know, but I'm like, why? What does it turn into? That's like. It's just so high blood pressure. Yes, I know. You're right. But.
Amy Poehler
I know what you mean.
Fred Armisen
But whenever they're like, there was too much salt on it, I'm like, I don't think that's gonna be the thing. That's just the ignorance. I'm just.
Amy Poehler
Do you ever put salt on anything?
Fred Armisen
No. No.
Amy Poehler
You never like, salt your chocolate chip cookies or.
Fred Armisen
Oh, I see what you mean. If there's a chocolate bar that has salt in it. Great. I like that.
Amy Poehler
You like that. Okay.
Fred Armisen
But I love sweet. I mean, I love chocolate so much.
Amy Poehler
Yeah. Too much, do you think?
Fred Armisen
Yeah, too much.
Amy Poehler
Are you trying to cut down or, like. You have to cut down.
Fred Armisen
I'm still too dependent on it. At the end of the day, especially after a show, I'm always like, oh, there's a cookie. There's a.
Amy Poehler
You love a little cookie treat.
Fred Armisen
Oh, it's the best.
Amy Poehler
Yeah.
Fred Armisen
You guys had great.
Amy Poehler
I have a hard time. I have a harder time with sugar because I had. Get on a real ride. And I crash pretty hard after sugar. Like, I have big sugar crashes.
Fred Armisen
Oh, yeah.
Amy Poehler
But salty. It's perfect.
Fred Armisen
It is.
Amy Poehler
Do you like to be scared?
Fred Armisen
Yeah, I like horror movies and. And all that stuff. I do. But I don't like to be scared in real life. Like, on a flight.
Amy Poehler
Have you ever been scared on a flight?
Fred Armisen
You know, the usual. I'm not afraid of flying. I'm just.
Amy Poehler
Do you have any phobias?
Fred Armisen
Oh, heights.
Amy Poehler
That's right. Fred.
Fred Armisen
I couldn't do a taping of this. Because of it.
Amy Poehler
Yeah.
Fred Armisen
Cause you were like, it's on the whatever floor. And I'm like, can't do it.
Amy Poehler
That's right. In New York. May we speak of that? Is that okay? We record in Spotify in New York, and it's a really, really high floor. And Fred was like, nope.
Fred Armisen
Yeah.
Amy Poehler
And I totally forgot about that.
Fred Armisen
Yeah, but I told you about that. I think one time we were at a hotel, and you guys were so nice because I just went up to your hotel. Me, you and Tina went up to your. And it was. I told you, and you guys were so nice. You just closed the blinds. But I did it. I wasn't like, I'm not going up there.
Amy Poehler
Yeah, but you don't like it.
Fred Armisen
I don't like it. And I don't like that. I don't like it.
Amy Poehler
It. How come?
Fred Armisen
Because it's too like, it's not real. Like, buildings are built. Well for centuries. There's never been, like, hey, watch out. Going up in buildings. That one fell. I've never seen that in the news. You know, like, oh, New York, don't go there.
Amy Poehler
Is this one going to fall? I actually never even think about heights until I'm reminded that when someone who's afraid of heights and then you go like, whoa, wait. That is weird that we're up here
Fred Armisen
so high, but there's so much engineering that's gone into it.
Amy Poehler
Yeah.
Fred Armisen
An engineer would. Would actually be insulted by that. Like, do you have any idea. Like, we studied, like, hundreds and hundreds,
Amy Poehler
thousands of people going to Building. Millions of people going to buildings every day.
Fred Armisen
Around the world.
Amy Poehler
Yeah.
Fred Armisen
Around everywhere.
Amy Poehler
Yeah. But could you ever, like, climb a tree or, like, is it that kind of height, too? Like, you could. A ladder. A. Would you be able to get, like.
Fred Armisen
I don't love it, but I, you know, I do try to, like, extend a little just so I'm like.
Amy Poehler
Have you ever done any kind of like a bungee or.
Carrie Brownstein
No.
Fred Armisen
No, nothing.
Amy Poehler
Nothing like that. I like that about you, Freddie. I feel like we're very similar. We don't. I don't like. I don't like, like, one of my insane. Like, I don't like taking risks.
Fred Armisen
No, no, no, no. None of that. I'm not interested.
Amy Poehler
No.
Fred Armisen
I'm also not interested in watching it. I'm not like. Or stories about it. Like. Like all that. I'm not.
Amy Poehler
No. Like, if you're gonna free. If you're gonna free climb, you know, I don't want to know about it.
Fred Armisen
I don't want to know. I don't want to know about it.
Amy Poehler
I don't want to know, but I don't want to see.
Fred Armisen
I'm oddly not impressed.
Amy Poehler
Yeah.
Fred Armisen
Of all things, the thing that you want me to be. I'm like.
Amy Poehler
I'm like, whatever.
Fred Armisen
Yeah.
Amy Poehler
I don't know you.
Fred Armisen
What is free climb? That's when you do the rocks.
Amy Poehler
Yeah. When you do the. Like.
Carrie Brownstein
No, with.
Amy Poehler
No, with no ropes and just like. Like, you just crevice and crevice and just thumb and foot.
Fred Armisen
Yeah. And then, like, one more slow and no. And then you get what happens. You get to.
Amy Poehler
If you had to do that by accident, if you. If you were stuck somewhere and you did it, I. I want to know everything about your story if you do.
Fred Armisen
That happened to me once. I was chased and I. I saw this mountain. I was like, there's nowhere to go. And I Was like, get out of here. And then the person couldn't. They were like. They were like. And then.
Amy Poehler
Yeah, and then you stayed on there.
Fred Armisen
I feel bad because if someone's watching.
Amy Poehler
I don't feel bad for people who recreationally. Free climb. What's wrong with you? What's. What is wrong with you? I think there. There's something wrong with them. I'm gonna say it.
Fred Armisen
Wow.
Amy Poehler
With no ropes, no one's making you do it.
Fred Armisen
What if it's your job? Some people are unemployed, and they. That's. They fill out the application. They're like, I guess I have to. No way.
Amy Poehler
There's not one
Fred Armisen
day. I hate this job.
Amy Poehler
You're right. There might be a few people. That's their job.
Fred Armisen
That's just the world.
Amy Poehler
That's their job. And they. And I'm sorry for those people. I'm sorry. And then last question. What are you, like, what kind of stuff do you watch, read, go to. To make you laugh? Like, what comedy. Comedy are you watching? Who are you watching? Like, anything you'd recommend.
Fred Armisen
Wow. For real. The thing that I'm most religious about of, like, actually catching is snl. Yeah, it's the one. It's the one thing that I'm like. Like, I watch it when it's live and you know those moments that you're like, that was pretty great.
Amy Poehler
Oh, God, I could talk forever. I know we've ended this, but I just want to say I do feel like we. You and I, I think we've played this game before. It's like an improv game of experts. But I think I talked to you about this. I always wanted to do, like a fake TED talk. Like a fake, you know, kind of like experts symposium where you just can talk about anything for like a minute. For a minute. You can seem like an expert on almost anything.
Fred Armisen
Yeah, I think so. You have to memorize a couple things,
Amy Poehler
and then there'll be a word or something where people will go, huh. She doesn't know what she's talking about, but I think almost anything.
Fred Armisen
It's reachable.
Amy Poehler
It's reachable. It's a fun. So on our way out, I'm going to give you something that I want you to pretend to be an expert in for one minute.
Fred Armisen
Okay.
Carrie Brownstein
Okay.
Amy Poehler
I'm going to set the timer. I'm going to say the Alaskan pipeline.
Fred Armisen
The Alaskan pipeline, yeah.
Amy Poehler
Ready? So with. With me today is an expert, Fred Armisen, who has been studying the Alaskan pipeline and is here to talk to us about it. Fred what should we know about the Alaskan pipeline?
Fred Armisen
Well, the first misnomer is Alaskan. So many, many people do know this that it's the. Originally the Siberian pipeline. Why is it the Siberian pipeline? Oh, because it goes through Siberia? No, because the. The shipping magnates shipped oil through there from Siberia and through Russia. And the only people who benefited from it were people from Canada. You think it would be Alaska? Since Alaska was not yet a state and the pipeline was built 1951. Canadians were the first to benefit it. But they didn't have oil refineries. Why didn't they have oil refineries? Because of World War II. And as we knew Canada to be a series of provinces, they did not have the capacity to have these refineries. Who comes in then but Mexico?
Amy Poehler
And that's a minute. Fantastic.
Carrie Brownstein
Answering your own question.
Amy Poehler
You did it. I don't know if any of that's true. When you said 1951.
Fred Armisen
I have no idea.
Amy Poehler
No idea. Thank you, Fred. Love you you. Thank you so much for doing this.
Fred Armisen
I love you. Thank you so much for.
Amy Poehler
You're the best. I'm glad we dressed.
Fred Armisen
We did.
Amy Poehler
Thank you so much, Fred Armisen. Thank you for coming and being on the pod. I love talking to you and, you know, for this polar plunge, we like to go deep on something that we talked about and there's so many things that we could go deep on. We could talk about David Byrne, we could talk about the specials, we could talk about Lorraine Newman. All cool, cool things. But I just want to shout out Fred's new record that he made with Drag City called 100 sound effects. But in this case, I believe he does 101. Spoiler alert. Check out his record and everything that Fred does all the time and. Yeah, and go back and look at old performances of all the music on snl. It's an incredible, impressive, gigantic mix of culture all in one place. Thanks so much for listening to Good Hang. Thank you always for tuning in and checking us out. And we'll see you soon. Bye. You've been listening to Good Hang. The executive producers for this show are Bill Simmons, Jenna Weiss Berman and me, Amy Poehler. The show is produced by the Ringer and Paper Kite for the Ringer, production by Jack Wilson, cat Spillane, Kyle McMullen and Alaia Zaneris. For Paper Kite, production by Sam Green, Joel Lovell and Jenna Weiss Berman. Original music by Amy Miles.
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Fred Armisen
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Fred Armisen
Oh no. Lindy.
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Amy Poehler
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Good Hang with Amy Poehler
Episode: Fred Armisen (April 7, 2026)
Guest: Fred Armisen | Surprise Guest: Carrie Brownstein
Host: Amy Poehler
Podcast by The Ringer
In this lively, laugh-filled episode, Amy Poehler welcomes her longtime friend and collaborator Fred Armisen to "Good Hang." The conversation is both a retrospective and a deep-dive, spanning their years at SNL, parallel journeys through comedy and music, their mutual aversion to physical risk, and their approaches to relationships and work. The episode opens with a sweet surprise appearance by Carrie Brownstein, who helps set the tone for a chat packed with warmth and reminiscence, punctuated by rapid-fire questions and memorable stories.
The Nature of Friendship & Creative Partnership
Origins and Collaboration: Portlandia and Beyond
Musical Roots and the Punk Band Years
SNL: Auditions, Impressions, and Community
On Making Comedy, Taking Risks, and Comfort Zones
Musical Heroes’ Influence on Comedy
For listeners new and old, this episode is rich with stories, candid insight, and the tangible delight of two brilliant, kindred spirits simply enjoying each other's company.