96 - The Who - Tommy - Jeff Arcuri

Summary

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The 500 with Josh Adam Meyers

Episode 96: The Who – Tommy (w/ Jeff Arcuri)
Date: August 5, 2026

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Episode Overview

Host Josh Adam Meyers welcomes comedian Jeff Arcuri to discuss Tommy by The Who, album #196 in Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time countdown. The episode blends comedian camaraderie, creative process talk, and deep dives into the album’s impact as a groundbreaking rock opera. Expect honest reflections on art, risk, and unexpected breakthroughs—plus, the unique charm of two comics comparing notes on everything from late-night setbacks to their favorite rock bands.

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Key Discussion Points

1. Life and Work Updates

• Josh recounts recent touring, projects, and waking up “early” for the show ([04:04]).
• Jeff discusses balancing a grueling schedule: “I need a night off. I want to make sure I hang out with the dog, hang out with the wife, and have a life. That’s important. People don’t realize that.” ([08:53])
• Both comics joke about the grind versus personal well-being in their industry ([09:52]).

2. The Social Media Rise of Comedians

• Jeff breaks down his online growth after releasing his Netflix special—jumping from under 10,000 followers to over 100K in mere months, mainly by posting three clips a week and seeing some go viral ([15:21]).
• Josh and Jeff debate the era of “viral clips” in comedy and recalibrate expectations from “200K” jumps to more realistic bumps in a digital landscape ([14:35]).
• Both reflect on missed opportunities and the learning curve of posting comedic content online ([17:43]).

3. Vulnerability, Competition, and Self-Reflection

• The two discuss ego, regret, and the delicate line between ball-busting camaraderie and real hurt in the comedy world ([25:15]).
• Josh shares an anecdote about accidentally hurting a loved one with a mean-spirited joke onstage: “I think about that. Like, who the am I to say that?” ([26:47])
• They touch on imposter syndrome and when comedians truly feel they “deserve” good things ([31:24]).

4. Musical Influences and “The Who” Fandom

• Jeff’s first love for The Who came via Rock Band video games: “Classic rock for me was through the game Rock Band—playing those songs over and over…” ([34:43])
• He explains that while his dad was a fan, much of his classic rock discovery was digital, not analog ([35:42]).

5. Tommy – An Unorthodox Rock Opera

• The episode explains the plot of Tommy: A traumatized boy who becomes deaf, mute, and blind, is abused, then finds redemption and cult status as a pinball wizard/spiritual leader ([43:19]).
• Josh highlights the bizarre pitch: “imagine pitching to your studio… a 2LP rock opera about a traumatized boy who plays pinball. And he’s a champion, though. But he’s also a reluctant spiritual leader…” ([75:57])
• The record’s ambitious narrative structure and recurring musical motifs are discussed; compared to writing a seamless hour of comedy ([47:32]).

6. Artistic Risk and Industry Dynamics

• Josh explores The Who’s artistic drive—Pete Townshend’s fear of his band becoming irrelevant, needing “a defining artistic statement” ([59:39]).
• They debate the riskiness of comedians or musicians making big left turns in their art ([53:29]), and Jeff compares it to a comic “transitioning into any serious art, whether that be dramatic acting, painting, [or] music.”
• The episode draws analogies to other game-changing records (e.g., Sgt. Pepper, The Wall) and the value of creative risk ([96:41]).

7. Blowing Up—But After 13 Years

• Jeff unpacks the reality that “overnight success” usually takes a decade-plus, sharing his steady string of small wins (TV spots, cruise ship work, finally The Comedy Cellar) before his viral moment ([68:06]).
• “You just have to sign up to just… do it because you love it.” ([68:06])
• He recounts doing late-night TV (“Colbert”) and how impersonal the corporate experience was versus his expectations ([84:05]).

8. Comedy & Music, Crowds & Community

• Josh and Jeff riff on changing audiences—whether comedy’s “crowd work clip” boom is good or bad, and how a community forms around art that takes chances ([95:20]).
• “When you build that community, they feel like they're a part of something, and audiences want that, you know?” —Josh ([95:52])
• Jeff emphasizes working for both audience respect and industry respect, and how “finally my actual, like, an hour of my set out there… I feel a lot of relief, man. I feel a lot of relief and a lot of, you know, contentment.” ([103:28])

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On balancing work and rest:
  • “That’s what I love about you… you want to work, but at the same time you’re like, I need a break. People don’t realize that.” —Josh ([08:53])
• On finding your lane as a comic:
  • “My sets are so dependent on my mood, you know, that if I'm tired... it's hard for me to do a show where I'm excited...” —Jeff ([11:01])
• On artistic risk:
  • “I just never thought about why they would do it and also how hard something like this is… rock and roll shouldn’t be an opera, but also, just never thought about why they’d do it.” —Josh ([39:48])
• On creative swings:
  • “If you don’t try and fail, you know, if you don’t at least try... even if you try and fail, at least you tried.” —Josh ([108:09])
• On late-night TV disappointment:
  • “I thought my late night… I wanted it to be... the dream to get to do this. I just didn’t. I thought it was gonna be like TV, you know.” —Jeff ([86:19])
• “Tommy” as a parable:
  • “This is not just an album. It’s a rock opera, a Broadway show before Broadway knew it needed electric guitars.” —Josh ([04:04])
• On online validation:
  • “I remember the first time my clip went past my following...feeling online validation for the comedy, which was very... the first time I felt fully confident in myself as a comedian.” —Jeff ([102:01])

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Tommy — Cultural and Musical Context

• Pete Townshend sought a bold artistic move to prevent The Who becoming “a band people loved without ever becoming important.” ([59:39])
• The album’s plot (trauma, disability, pinball, messiah complex) was considered a hard sell but worked due to the band’s conviction and era’s appetite for big ideas ([75:57], [43:19]).
• Tommy is lauded as the first truly successful rock opera where “nearly every song moves the narrative… it’s more like watching a movie than listening to singles.” ([47:32])
• Its massive live success—especially after the Woodstock performance—transformed The Who from a great live act to cultural icons ([99:57]).
• Inspired later conceptual albums by Pink Floyd, Stones, Elton John, etc. ([106:09])

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Reflections on Success, Community, and Artistry

• Both comedians emphasize the importance of loving the work and being content with the process, not just the milestones ([68:06], [70:18]).
• Hard-won perspective: every little “thumbs up” keeps the artist going, whether it’s encouragement from a headliner or a viral video ([68:37]).
• They tie the community-building aspect of touring and performing to The Who’s post-Tommy ascent, and to their own fan worlds built online and onstage ([95:52]).

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Quick Fire Album Wrap-Up

[107:16]

• Favorite Track:
  • Jeff: “Pinball Wizard” ([107:22])
• Skip Tracks:
  • Jeff: “No, I couldn’t think of it. Couldn’t think…” ([107:26])
• Final thoughts/advice for first-time listeners:
  • Jeff: “Give art a chance. Give something… seeing an artist do something outside of their normal.” ([108:09])
  • Josh: “It’s remembered because of an artist taking a chance… if you don’t try and fail, at least you tried.” ([108:09])

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Important Timestamps

• [04:04] – Introduction to Tommy and its unique place in rock and musical history.
• [08:53] – Jeff opens up about creative burnout and balancing work-life.
• [15:21] – Jeff describes his growth from social media and Netflix special.
• [34:43] – Jeff’s personal roots with The Who via Rock Band video game.
• [43:19] – Josh summarizes the theatrical plot of Tommy.
• [59:39] – The Who’s crossroads: Townshend’s drive to make the band “important.”
• [75:57] – The creative risk of Tommy framed in modern project/pitch terms.
• [96:41] – The legacy of Tommy and what it means for artists and risk-taking.
• [107:16] – Album wrap-up: favorite songs, skips, and recommendations.
• [108:09] – Final reflections on what makes Tommy and great art endure.

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Tone and Takeaways

• The episode is genuine, humorous, and self-aware—moving fluidly between rock nerdery, behind-the-scenes comedy career talk, and advice for artists at all levels.
• Both host and guest prize authenticity, creative risk, and community support over fleeting digital stardom.
• At its core, the episode champions the value of artistic audacity, whether it's writing a rock opera or releasing your material into the world after more than a decade of small victories and steady grind.

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Transcript

[Josh Adam Myers]

Next Chapter Podcasts Hey Fleece army, we need your help to make the 500 even better by telling us a bit more about yourself. Go to www.surveymonkey.com R3TWX8YD for a quick listener survey. It only takes a few minutes and directly supports our team. To show our appreciation, we're giving away two 50 gift cards to lucky participants every single month. So head to www.www.surveymonkey.com R as in randy/3 the number T as in Tony, W as in Woman, X as in Xerox and 8 as the number y as in Yellow, D as in Dog. I'm saying this, we're gonna put the link on our website if you can't see that, that was a lot. But this is your chance to win. It helps our show. We really appreciate it. We want to know more about you because you know so much about me. So yeah, dude, do it. Www.surveymonkey.com TWX8Y D that's a mouthful, but it's there.

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[Josh Adam Myers]

This episode is supported by FX's the Shards, a seductive drama from executive producer Ryan Murphy. Set in 1980s Los Angeles, the series follows a group of glamorous, deeply entangled high school seniors drawn into a life of wealth, beauty, parties and excess. At its center is Brett, whose reality begins to unravel when the arrival of a new student coincides with a series of mysterious murders. FX's the Shards premieres August 5th on F Facts in Hulu. Choice hotels get you more of what you value comfort in. It's calling your name. Save on the stain. Oh, and free waffles are yours to claim. Book direct@Choice Hotels.com.

[Podcast Narration/Chorus]

The 500 the 500 JM been walking us down through that 2012 edition, so it ain't nothing too new. Hundreds more to go and in need of a friend the king of fleece for angelo Talking the 500 until the end Talking the 500 until the end with my man Jim on the 500 Talking the 500 until the end Since

[Josh Adam Myers]

I was a young boy I played

[Podcast Narration/Chorus]

the silver ball from so hooked down to frightened I must have played them all But I ain't seen nothing like him in any amusement hall Back depth on the flank. Kid sure plays a mean pinball.

[Josh Adam Myers]

That is Pinball Wizard. It's from the who from the 1969 record Tommy. It's also number 196 out of 500 on on the 500. What is up, Fleece Army? 90. 95 more records to go. Oh, 95. 95. 95. 95. We have 95 records to go. My name is. What is my name? Oh, yeah, Josh Adam Myers. I am your host. I'm a comedian and I'm going through Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Albums. The 2012 list, not the other ones. We'll get to those afterwards. What is going on in Josh World? I I've just been at home in the studio at Electric Leca Land Studios and we've just been churning and burning music. It's been going great. If you want to support anything right now to get me back out on the road at Josh Adam Myers on all social media. Josh Adam Myers on YouTube. And yeah, I think that's about it. I do have the I have a festival in August in Tampa, St. Pete's really the joke World Festival. I'm doing a bunch of jams doing. I have next month though. I am doing Zanies and what else do I have? Oh, and then in December I just booked DC Improv. So we've got a lot of cool things getting ready to come out either way. Support the show. Tell your friends about it. Show us how you're watching and listening to the show. Take a screenshot of it and post it and tag us. Help us get that word out for those final 95 episodes. We have a YouTube, YouTube.com backslash the 500 podcast and we have a Patreon if you want to feel spicy and help us because we need it. Oh yeah, we need it. I had to wake up early today to do I'd wake up at 9am Isn't that funny that I call that early? I do the right whether wake up at like 3:30am to go to the airport or like 1:00pm no, no, 9:00am I don't want that. We did a great episode coming up for the Elton John record. I'm really excited for you to hear it. I'll just give you a hint who the guest. Figure it out. All right. For new. Not new music. I'm gonna jump into the end already. Let's talk about this episode. So we are today talking about a record that is not just an album. It's a rock opera, it's a Broadway show. Before Broadway. New that, it needed electric guitars, a spiritual journey, some say by four British lunatics. Oh, and what's it about? A deaf, dumb, and blind pinball wizard. Can you imagine how big pinball was in. In 69 when this. He was like, dude, we gotta capitalize on that pinball craze. You know, he tried to do it again when he was like, pong Pong. We play pong pong.

[Jeff Arcuri]

Bye.

[Josh Adam Myers]

The record today is Tommy. It's by the who. It changed music and it changed this incredible band's direction. And honestly, I have a guy who not only is one of the coolest and funniest people that I know, he's also one of the sweetest human beings. We're gonna talk all about that and the way that you said, I don't think we're good. Comedy needs a really sweet, hilariously funny guy, but we got one. It's the incredible Jeff Arcuri. He has a special right now on Netflix. I opened for him for it and he murdered it. He is one of the quickest and funniest improvisers working today, building an enormous audience. You probably already know who he is, so why don't we just get to the thing? Rate, review, and most importantly, subscribe to the 500 listen free on all platforms. Anyway, your pods. Follow me at Josh Adam Myers on all social media. Follow the podcast at the 500 podcast. Email the [e-mail] Follow the Facebook group we think run by Crazy Evan. But he hasn't responded, so we have no idea. We don't know if anybody's even on there. For all things 500, go to the website the500podcast.com and if there is nothing left to say, then I am allowed now to say, oh, here we go with number 90.

[Jeff Arcuri]

Four days. Like, I think, like, I want to say probably close to 20, but at least 50 nuts. Dude, this is my last one. And I said, well, the shows tonight, I canceled them like, two days ago. I was like, I can't. I can't do every single night. I need a night off. And I'm like,

[Josh Adam Myers]

Here, let me tell you this. That's What I love about you is that you, you, it's like you are. You want to work, but at the same time you're like, I know, I need a break. Yeah. Other people, like, would be like, all right, I don't give a. Nine shows tonight, 50 interviews, dude, you are. I'm telling you, bro. Like, that's what I love about you and I love about some of the guys that I know. I know this sounds ridiculous, but it's like, you just, you're just like, dude, I'm just. It's great that this is all happening. I love doing the work. I gotta take care of myself. I want to make sure I hang out with the dog, hang out with the wife, and have a life that's important. People don't realize that.

[Jeff Arcuri]

Yeah, this is not even the dog and wife. I'm in LA right now. This is just. I, I am like, tired, dude. I had to get up at like 7:00am every day. Well, I like how your compliment also. I also took offense to it a little bit because you're like, I like how a lot of guys would be like, no, you know what, I want to do shows and I want to do interviews. But you are like, no, I need a break. I think that's great.

[Josh Adam Myers]

You don't have to. No, but that's the thing, dude. Jeff, you're at a position right now where you can do that. That's awesome. It's a compliment. It's more like where, you know, because there's like, I remember there's. I was talking to a rock star and he said about like, he said about like. I was like, because he's working non stop. That's all he wants to do is work and work and work and work and work. And I think it's for other issues rather than just like, what, what I'm about to say. But he goes like, when you talk about music, you talk about it in decades. Like the Beatles were the 60s and Led Zeppelin was the 70s. And it's this. A lot of them don't go past that. And it's like, you know, comedians are a different thing. And that's the cool thing is that, you know, you can be popular in the 80s. Carlin was popular all the way up until he died. So. But, but that was his reason for working. And a lot of the people work because they have like, they don't want to deal with themselves. You're, you're. I feel like you're so fine with yourself. And like, dude, I'm just. This is Crazy that this is happening. You know, you deserve everything because you're awesome, but you know what I'm saying? It's like, sure, you're. It's more. It's a compliment. I, I

[Jeff Arcuri]

in my anxiety is like. But I, I, but understand that everyone was like, you're crazy for doing this many shows. Like, I was, I was doing more than in my opinion. My manager was making it seem like you should. They asked me last night, like, you should stop, maybe cancel the spots tonight too. And I'm like, no, I'm good. My problem is, is that I, like, my mood is so. My sets are so dependent on my mood, you know, that I. It's so hard for me if I'm tired and I've been up since 7am for me to do a show where I'm excited to be like, what's up, guys? It's hard for me to not like, I need my rest. Dude,

[Josh Adam Myers]

what are you quite. I'm great. I mean, I'm. Dude, I'm, I'm. Well, I'm in that position right now where it's like, well, I want to get to this later in the show. But it's like, I'm not getting a lot of shows in New York right now. But I'm having so much fun making music and seeing my social growth. And I think it's that kind of thing where you're like, you know, I'm almost looking at it like the universe kind of removed a few obstacles so I could concentrate on this, you know? And yes, most of my followers are all black guys named DJ Dookie Feet. Like, it's crazy, dude. The amount of black, black followers I have now that are like, yo, man, you need to, you need to come to Memphis. I'm like, probably.

[Jeff Arcuri]

That's crazy. Yes. Because I've seen your. We were more recent videos of you doing the green. Not green screen, whatever you'd call that.

[Podcast Narration/Chorus]

Yeah.

[Jeff Arcuri]

What came first, those videos?

[Josh Adam Myers]

Well, no, well, here's what, here's what happened. It was like, dude, it was, it was the. It was going to Europe, coming back, not getting what I was getting. Dude, it was almost like I just, I wasn't getting. I was on the road, but I wasn't getting spots in town. I would get a few. SD wasn't giving me much. You know, Patrick was always back and forth because I did the jam at the Cellar, which I've talked about on a year before, but I might even mentioned it to you. But it was like, I had my time to be depressed and Then I went with Big J for the holidays to, to do a new year show, which was the first year I wasn't doing new year shows, like headlining. But I was like, dude, I'll go, I'll hang. It's, you know, have fun. Like, I'll just be with my buddy and, and his social guy, that kid Dylan was like, dude, I want to be. Do your social, but I don't want you doing clips. He's like, I want you. You're funny. Do your character. Like, figure we got to figure out that. And then he slowly started pushing me towards doing music. And I had built this studio not even thinking about it and. But I was against it. And then he showed me other people and I was like, all right, I can do better than that. Like, that's terrible.

[Jeff Arcuri]

That's how every comic starts Stand up comedy.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah.

[Jeff Arcuri]

And then that's. That's like the advice I give to comics when they're like, how do I start? Like, go to an open mic and you'll be, you'll be like, I could nice.

[Josh Adam Myers]

My question to you. And I feel like, because we're already talking about it, I might as well say it. Like, did you. Because was it. Was it like instantaneous? Because I feel like it was. Because I, I just remember when we were both like, we both got passed. I think I got past a little bit before you at the seller because what you were like maybe a few months after, but we were on a lot of the same shows. I was like, who's this kid? You're such a nice guy. I was like, oh, that's cool. And I remember I saw the follower count. You were at like 12,000, let's say.

[Jeff Arcuri]

Yeah.

[Podcast Narration/Chorus]

And.

[Josh Adam Myers]

And I think you and I were roughly. Maybe I was at 20. And. And then slowly it's just like it starts ticking up and I was getting. Because back in the day and people don't realize this. Comics don't realize it like, or people really. Comics do. But it was the wild west for a minute where if you had one clip that could get. Could get you, you know, a. 200, 000 followers.

[Jeff Arcuri]

I solve a. Really?

[Josh Adam Myers]

You don't think so?

[Jeff Arcuri]

200k, I would say on a good day, if you're, if you're less than a hundred thousand, I bet on a good clip you'd get like 10 to 15, which is why. Which is nuts. I got my. The day my Netflix came out, I think I got like 10, nine.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Really?

[Jeff Arcuri]

It wasn't that huge. I think back then. I don't know, maybe back then it was a little more crazy, but. Because I remember my growth seemed fast for anybody. And I remember because there was, like, things that happened. I remember I. I posted August 18th, and then for my birthday, October 2nd.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Let me know. Wait, wait, let me note that so I can make sure I get you something. Or at least I wish.

[Jeff Arcuri]

Yeah.

[Josh Adam Myers]

October 2nd, little Jeffrey, what were you saying? Keep going. I didn't mean to cut you off.

[Jeff Arcuri]

Go ahead, adhd. I'll talk about my birthday. You know, we'll get to that. I think for my 40th, I'm gonna go nuts. Anyways, on October 2nd, I was in Mexico with my family for me and my niece's birthday. And me and my sister were freaking out because that day of my birthday, Instagram was glitching and I was on the cusp of 40,000. And so I went from not having any less than 10,000 in August 18 to a month and a half later, not even to 40,000. And then by Christmas, I was at 100K. And that was, you know, me posting three a week. A couple of them went viral. You know what I mean? So I was basing off those metrics, but when you were saying back in the day, were you. You're saying like 20, 20, 2019.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Oh, dude, if you would have. If. All right, so if I would have been doing this music, here's. I mean, all right, funny. Funny enough. During the pandemic, I. There was this app called Voicy that like only black people use. I was like the only white guy. And it was like DJs and producers would put these beats up and then you had to have like headset and you plug it in and it was a. And you could put like auto tune and layering and you could do all this. And it was literally like a 45 or one minute song. And I, I'm alone. I. You know, my computer at that time was kind of old. So it's not like I could think about the idea of building logic or, you know, I said this recently, I was like, bro, like, if I would have had the. That I have now that these kids have now and not be an old man calling them kids. But if I had, if I would have been 10 years old and had the capabilities to make music, I don't know if I ever would have done comedy. It's the same about making movies. Like, dude. You know what I'm saying? Like, dude. It's like when you have these things, they're so lucky that you have a movie you can make a movie on this. And. And we were shooting on a Fisher Price camera that you put an audio cassette in. And it was grainy and it looked cool, but it was like, no one's ever gonna see it. So to bring it all around during the pandemic, when I should have invested in my career, instead, I was just, like, dicking around in la. And. And that was when I found voicy, and I started making songs, and I would send them to friends, and they're like, dude, these are funny. You got to post them. And then I posted one, and Nick Youssef, a comic from the Comedy Store, goes, oh, God, you're doing this now. And I deleted it. That.

[Jeff Arcuri]

That's something I would do, dude, in world. And you were like, what is this shirt? Why would you wear that? I'm gonna burn it that night.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Well, it's. At the time, it just. It was. You know, because you're like, all right, well, this is my. This is like my. My. My flag to the world. Like, I still exist. You know what I mean? I know we're all locked up. You know, it's. I've never been, like, a gratuitous poster, so. So it. And. And look, truth be told, who knows where that would have gone?

[Jeff Arcuri]

We.

[Josh Adam Myers]

It wasn't. I'm not saying it was good quality, bad quality, but it was content. And from my understanding, what people have said to me, and I said, like, if you would have posted during the pandemic, doing these songs, I'd be over, like, 10 million because there's nothing going on. Everybody was looking at our phones, and then. And then even at the beginning of the. At the end of the beginning of the end of the pandemic. So, like, 2021 going to 2022, you see someone, like, rife. You see, like, because you were. I mean, when did it start? Like, 22nd, 2022. So this is a question I wanted to add to you is, like, at the beginning and even probably now, because, dude, I'll make a song that I'll be like, this is gonna go. Like, this is so catchy, so funny. And it. And sometimes it does nothing, and you're just like. Like. Like, do you still have that? Or do you just, like. Or is it. Was it at the beginning? Maybe you did that, or was there ever. Like.

[Jeff Arcuri]

Yeah, yeah, there are times, and I'll say, like, to make some. Maybe make me. It'll make you feel better. But there was times where I posted something, and I was like, this is so good. Like, it's so silly. This is my personality, whatever it is. And it didn't do well. And there were comments like, why would you post this? Whatever. Not enough for me to remember. But I do remember something that happened with, like, with my special and a couple other comics like Ronnie Chang. And brought up one time. There's times where you make a joke on stage and it's for you a little bit. It's maybe a tag that doesn't get another big pop, but it's something that you find funny phonetically, whatever it may be. And I had a guy come up to me and be like, I love that one line. It didn't get any laughs. But that was like. That was so funny to me. It was like, about my. Or the. I talk about having back hair and seeing it on camera. Like, did I fall into Oreos? I say that and it doesn't. It's not like a huge laugh line. But there's certain people that. It was like they were laughing at it like that. I like that line so much. Even though he didn't get credit. And I go, good. That sometimes I don't need the. The reaction to it. I don't need that to know that it's something. You know what I mean? Like, I created something that was for somebody, was for at least me. At the minimum, I think is cool.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah, I. I'm gonna put myself on mute when you talk to. So I. Because I think like, my fan or something was kind of adding to the. I know, dude, you're. Whatever hotel you're at, bro. That's the other thing too. You're rich. Stay at the Rich. You're like, dude, you're gonna just do one theater. You're gonna be playing the Forum soon. Like, spend the money.

[Jeff Arcuri]

You wanna see something funny?

[Josh Adam Myers]

What? You're your Best Western. I know. You are off, dude. Bro, I have such little money. And I'm like, all right, where are we staying? The Four Seasons. Get.

[Jeff Arcuri]

Dude, you're fine, dude, I got the Internet.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Works okay. You know. Okay. Okay. You're doing 45 interviews today.

[Jeff Arcuri]

The first night I had to be up. I've had to be up at like 7 or 8am at the latest every single day. And I got woken up almost every single night. The first night, I had to do like the. On camera at like 9am and I woke up at 3am till about 4am because they were scream screaming. These girls were screaming at these guys about wanting more cocaine and going out and all this. And I. I was getting so furious. The Front desk wasn't answering, and so I finally walked.

[Josh Adam Myers]

There's no front desk. There's no front desk. They're the drug dealers, you loon. Where are you staying, dude? All right, this comes out. This. Listen, this comes out on Wednesday. You'll be gone by then, and you're not staying there next time. You're not. I'm. Dude, I'm worried about your safety. You are reaching a level where you might need security of some sort. So where are you staying? We can bleep this out. I need to know because I know Los Angeles. I now. Because I know what is. And then I know what is here.

[Jeff Arcuri]

So I am at the free hotel where Godfrey on Cohen.

[Josh Adam Myers]

All right, I'm looking this up right now.

[Jeff Arcuri]

I think that's how you say it. Every street in California.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Every street is Cowabunga Avenue, the Godfrey Hotel. Where. Where the guy. Where the front desk guy just goes on racial. This is how black people are being. Oh, he's doing like front facing cameras. It's actually Godfrey.

[Jeff Arcuri]

I. This one. I will say this, and I mean this. Everyone that works here has been awesome, okay? It's been chill as the. The valet guys I love because I rented a car this time. So that's why I got a cheap hotel to offset the mother.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Bro, bro, bro.

[Jeff Arcuri]

They've been all so sick.

[Josh Adam Myers]

But they don't want you to rat on them. They don't. They. They don't want you to rat on them. They want.

[Jeff Arcuri]

No, they're just. I'll have it ready for you. You know, I tip them too. That helps. But everyone has been really nice and really good. They tried to kick me out today when I was on a zoom. And then my. The. My manager was like, no, we told them that we extended it. We paid for it. We told them today and yesterday and then they apologized, but I was like, I had to stop a zoom and do that.

[Josh Adam Myers]

This is actually a nice hotel. Wait, I want to sit here. Wait, this is. I was. When you say cuenca, because cuenca goes. Goes up and down. And so I was thinking it was up BY like the 101, like, interchange, like in the weird area where like. Yeah, all right, dude, but look, I. I mean, when we were doing on the road once and you were like, yeah, I mean, I feel weird ordering these cars. And I'm like, who cares? Like, dude, yeah, get the car. Like, who cares?

[Jeff Arcuri]

I'm not making more of those decisions now. Where I'm like, especially with this travel. And I'm like, I have to Go like at least first class. Like I have to go. I don't need lay down. I don't think I always end up either falling asleep, kind of laying down or just not sleeping. So I'm like, I don't want. That's so expensive, dude. It's like two grand sometimes.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Oh my God. That's what like that's like three rows of your, one of your shows, dude. Is that three rows?

[Jeff Arcuri]

No, dude, I keep donating the money.

[Josh Adam Myers]

I, I, You're a very, very. Dude, I mean this, you are, you really are salt of the earth. And I, and I love that about you, dude. I'm telling you bro, you are, you are a. You are a. You are when they say cleaner than a pre sheets like you are the guy, you are just. If you got skeletons in your closet, I would be shocked. I bet any person you've ever bullied, even by bullied, being like, I butted in line in front of Frank in eighth grade. I'm going to send him a message now to apologize. I took the last slice of pizza.

[Jeff Arcuri]

Every time I was ever really mean to somebody as a kid because I was trying to be cool or I was trying to fit. And I, I think about it, I still think about them and it hurts, it sucks. You know, I was like, you look back, you're like, I was such a dick and you were like 12.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah, bro, I have last week, like, no, I mean, dude, I'll say this. I remember there's certain things that I've always regretted doing. And I remember one time and it's not funny, but my girlfriend at the time, and I won't say who it was, she, we were doing a comedy show. I was doing a comedy show and she wanted to go up. And the week before she had gone up. She wasn't really a stand up, but she would do it sometimes and she was funny. Like, you know, she was funny. I think everybody could pretty much tell who I'm talking about because she's, she's not, she's a stand up, but not a stand up and bigger on social now and blah blah, blah, blah. You know, it is Brittany. It was when Brittany Furlong. Who the girl on vine that blew up and married Tommy. I've talked about her before and I, she knows I've said this and I think about how bad this I just as her boyfriend, I should have never said this. On the next week, she killed the first week on this show that I put on. And then on the next week I threw up again. And in front of, like, T.J. miller or whatever. And she had a bad set, you know, first week, because she could just kill with whatever. And that second one, dude, she just didn't have it. And maybe the crowd. Maybe the this. And somebody whispered in my ear and, like, he goes, yeah, I guess you should say this. He goes, I guess being funny isn't a sexually transmitted disease. And I don't know why I said that on stage. And it was just, like, mean. And I remember seeing her face, and, like, it got a laugh. But it was also like, oh, dude, I think about that. Like, who the am I to say that? And. And also to my girlfriend.

[Jeff Arcuri]

Yeah. Yeah, that was it. I will say, for the sake of, like. For the sake of comedy, I think we've all. We've all done that more than we should have, or we took a risk at someone else's sake or at someone else's, you know, expense. Yeah, enough. Or they took a little bit offense to it, which. If they took offense, it's over. I've always hated the friends or pals or people that will make fun of you, and then you're, like, not cool about it, and then they make fun of you for not laughing. Have you ever had that? Really? And you're like, yeah, I'm sorry. I didn't. I'm not gonna laugh at it. If I don't. If it sucks and I don't find it funny, what do you want me to do?

[Josh Adam Myers]

Well, they talk about the busting of balls between comics, right? And especially you talk to Bill or you talk to Rich Voss or any of the guys, and they say that table back in the day when Patrice was holding court was vicious, but there was a love behind. They all loved each other. You know what I mean? So when they were like, bill, like, your shirt, like, that's what you're gonna wear. And then, dude, that's your outfit. And it's. It was like. Because you even say it. They would. On an outfit, it. And they say it in such a funny way that they would never. Like, you said, dude, they'd throw that thing out. Yeah. They'd never wear it again. And then they would go and spend little money that they have on an actual shirt, an outfit to look fly. There are comics, which I will not name names, but it's like, dude. That are vicious and trying to keep that alive, but it doesn't feel like there is. Sometimes there's one to me that I'm like. I'm like, I. I'm homies, and I'll be like, I'm just being your friend and go, dude, there is a difference between the moment for us shooting like that and making fun of each other versus, like, you almost a damn near, like, not attacking. I don't want to call it that, but just like, oh, name drop. And I'm like, we're. I'm telling a story about doing a black room. Like, I wanted to tell you who the host that on me. He's not even famous. Like, I'm not talking about jelly roll. I'm talking about a rando guy. Did you know him? And it's like. And to like, verbally, outwardly, like, be. Oh, there he is again.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Doing the.

[Josh Adam Myers]

And I'm like, yeah, I would never do that. And to say you're my friend, I'm like, that's crazy because I, as a friend, I would never embarrass another person like that in front of. In front of Nathan McIntosh. Canadian. You think he can handle a black guy being angry at another. At a white guy? He's like, oh, my God, this is crazy. Did you freeze up?

[Jeff Arcuri]

Oh, did I. No, I said that was a good.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Well, you're. Because, dude, you're. This great hotel that you're staying at has the shittiest Internet service. I hope it works for. I hope it worked for Entertainment Tonight better than it's working for my show.

[Jeff Arcuri]

Listen, we could have waited a week.

[Josh Adam Myers]

We can't. No, because this has to. But, dude, wait. Two things. One, I don't know why we didn't do this three weeks ago in person with the dogs. Emily Booker, she. I was like, dude, I'm friends with him. I can just text him. And she's like, I've been working on this for months because she loves you. My Emily's a true booker. She's a celebrity booker. I love her to death. But. And ultimately the episode needs to come out on Wednesday. So if we. If we're doing this record, which we got to start talking about in a minute or two. Don't worry, don't worry. Gotta start talking about it. Or there's a 50 year old dude that is in a basement right now that's got like the who posters up to the record. Come on.

[Jeff Arcuri]

Yeah, maybe edit it so you can start with that. And then this will be the back end.

[Josh Adam Myers]

We should go back. Like, we should do Pulp Fiction esque. Yeah, we should. Oh, it's all gonna tie together.

[Jeff Arcuri]

So right now we should say that's the end of the episode.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Well, I. That is it, guys. Thank you so Much for tuning in, guys. You can catch Jeff at the Best Western on Franklin and La Cienega. There you go. Yeah, get some of that good, good in you, baby. Oh, my God. The worst thing about you vaping. Oh, my Lord, don't let your grand delay your nana see that. I met your family, bro. They know you vape.

[Jeff Arcuri]

No, no, he's coming. My parents. I can't do it. I can't do it to him, you

[Josh Adam Myers]

know, don't hide that, dude. Just. They probably like it. You're from Long Island. They like it more if you're smoking a real cigarette. Like, ain't no. My son ain't no homo. What are you doing?

[Jeff Arcuri]

I'm so Long Island. I got caught smoking because my mom could see the cigarette pack through my jean short pocket, like the silhouette. And she's like, what's in your shorts? And sprinted out the door and threw it. Threw them under my sister's Jeep. And then she's like. I saw that. And then she's like, cigarettes. And it was.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Oh, dude. I just. Luckily, my household, they couldn't smell it because my mom was puffing on those long ones. Like, my mom's cigarettes were like. Like. Like this long. You see those old Jewish cigarettes, like, they're so long. She'd be, like, lighted for me, and she'd be across. But you're not a smoker. You're not. It shouldn't. It doesn't go. Yeah, that right there. That was when you went that. It's like that. That was it. That was it. All right, let's. Let's. Let's get into this. I could mean you could just shoot the. All day. I'm so happy you are here. And we will get the dogs together. We know that for a fact. Please, I want to go. When the. I want to go into the asbestos house, though. I really, really want meoma. I need. I need some cash. So a class action lawsuit would be good for me right now. Yeah. All right, Main question. And. Because it's like the. The idea that you're on great. The Tommy, the who. Like, is this a record that you have? Like, are you a big who fan? Like, I don't know. I. That's the thing about you, is that you're not a mystery. But it's like, I literally sang the theme song to, you know, full House. We could have put on, like, a San Francisco band and been like, you know, when the truth is found, to be like, they would have loved that. If we say, don't you want somebody they would have gone bananas. Instead, they looked at us like we were a bunch of ass bees.

[Jeff Arcuri]

That was the worst, worst story ever. Dude, I just told that one.

[Josh Adam Myers]

I know. You don't have to tell you. You don't know.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

We.

[Josh Adam Myers]

He. I'll say it quickly.

[Podcast Narration/Chorus]

He.

[Josh Adam Myers]

We were closing out the Masonic.

[Jeff Arcuri]

Hearing it from you is gonna make

[Josh Adam Myers]

me feel even worse.

[Jeff Arcuri]

Go ahead. I want to hear it.

[Josh Adam Myers]

I did it, bro. I did it. Chappelle did it. We committed, bro. You think that's the gayest I've ever done.

[Jeff Arcuri]

Funny. That's why you did it. I did it because I asked you to and give you money. Do it. You guys are not culpable anyway. You and Chappelle, completely innocent. This was a request done by me.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah, He. Well, it was a great idea in theory, which was like communism. It was. It was basically. It was basically we. We were in San Francisco doing a big show. We did two of them. And he said on the last one. It was the last. Last one. We do long week, you know what I mean? We had the three shows at the Wheelchair. Well, two shows at the Wheelchair. Supposed to be four. Then we did San Diego, and then we did San Francisco. And so on the last one, he thought it would be cool for us to sing the theme song from Full House. And truth be told, and I. I mean this. I'm not just being like, because you're paying me and you're my homie and you're the headliner, bro. I would have. I do like that.

[Podcast Narration/Chorus]

Yeah.

[Jeff Arcuri]

It's fun. That's why. Yeah. I was like, this is this. Let me get out of my show.

[Josh Adam Myers]

And then after that, you never sang another song ever again.

[Jeff Arcuri]

I haven't had a melody come out of my mouth.

[Josh Adam Myers]

That's not true. The guy. They did the goddamn Comedy Jam in Moon Tower. Jeremiah was a bullfrog. You got a voice of an angel, bro.

[Jeff Arcuri]

Oh, I love the who, dude. I love the who.

[Josh Adam Myers]

When it. When did it start?

[Jeff Arcuri]

I was, okay, this is. This may suck, but this is the truth. I think I really discovered a lot of my love for a lot of. I would. Classic rock for me was through the Game. Rock Band was playing those songs over and over again. We had the full drum set, guitar, microphone, bass guitar, Rock Band set up. And a lot of. We bought, like, the who expansion. And so it was a lot of like. Like, Pablo O'Reilly is a really fun one to play.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Oh, yeah, that's just.

[Jeff Arcuri]

That's just probably. That's in my top 10 songs of all time. For sure would be Baba O'Reilly in terms of like a Hype up. I can put it on. It's long as. How long is that again? It's long, isn't it?

[Josh Adam Myers]

Bob O'Reilly. I think there's different versions. I think I've seen.

[Jeff Arcuri]

I've seen five minutes.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah, I've seen. I've seen Pearl Jam close out shows with it and it's like one of the coolest things ever. Especially that like, don't cry, don't. I mean that's like. That's like one of the top five music moments in all the music.

[Jeff Arcuri]

Yeah, there's. Yeah, yeah. Dude, I. I like the who a lot of like rock band songs. I were like, got me on to like Boston. I didn't really like More Than A Feeling is one of my favorite like Hype up songs. And so I got a lot of that. But yeah, my dad was a who fan. He had like, he had. We had posters and in the basement when he was like, face. There's a lot of who posters and stuff. Yeah.

[Josh Adam Myers]

So did you do well? No, because I'm trying to think about to spin this all together. No. First of all, by the way, not a bad answer whatsoever. It's always we're getting it from somebody, an older band. Rock band. I never got into rock Band, but like when I would go to big Js during the pandemic, bro, I just never. Bro, it's we. I've never been a video game guy and then I was actually like in real bands. So that's not being like. That's not a knock down on the rock. That's not a knock down on the rock band people. Guys, it's not the compliment I gave you at the beginning. Like, it's. It's like, it's a compliment that I'm saying that it's one of those things where it's like, if I would have had like a friend, if I had a roommate that played rock band, I would have 100 been like, we jamming tonight, bro. Like without a doubt. But the, the question I have though, it was, did you ever do like musical theater? Did you ever do theater? Because I could see you. Maybe I'm. Maybe that's a dis. That's the. That's where I'm putting you down, dude. I could see you doing some, you know, maybe the community theater, like, you know, some theater in Long Island. It's like, tommy, can you hear me? Tommy, can you feel me?

[Jeff Arcuri]

No, I never. I. I was in quiet, like Chorus, we called it. So I did that ever since I was, like, probably six or seven. I remember I got a solo for the DARE program. And as for the. It was for. It was for the school solo. For our chorus. I got the solo. I remember the kid that, like, the popular kid that was in my same chorus called me after school and was like, just wanted to say congrats. And I. He was the cool kid. And I was like, for what? For what, Anthony? And he was just like, you got the solo? And I was like, oh, really? He's like, you didn't even know. Like, he was, like, angry at me. I could tell. And I was like, I don't even. I did it because, like, you guys were doing it. I didn't know I would get it. And I remember feeling bad for getting it. But then I remember my mom would show it to Company for, like, years afterwards and. And she would cry. My grandmother cried watching it. It was like. It was a song, dude. I wonder if I could look it up. I haven't heard it since.

[Josh Adam Myers]

But it was look past faces and look past clothes.

[Jeff Arcuri]

Like, I was singing like that. Like that falsetto, but those.

[Josh Adam Myers]

And then it went well.

[Jeff Arcuri]

And I did it for, like, the DARE program. They had me sing in front of the school with no context of singing. I just had like, let's have him do it again. And I remember not doing well. And I remember, like, that being the end of, like, singing for me for a while was when they had me do it again. And I, like, my voice was, like, cracking. I was like, look those faces.

[Josh Adam Myers]

You gotta talk about that. That's. That. Dude, that's a joke right there. I thought the song. When you said you were saying something for the DARE program, it was gonna be like, crystal man lose your teeth and family chuckers take your head for the long. I'm not. I could go and go, all right, remember that. I'm gonna write a song about that. Like, literally the second we're done. I just. I just saw that guy clavicular dancing, you know? Clavicular.

[Jeff Arcuri]

Yeah.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah. I'm gonna write a song about how it's. It's. It's like he stimulated me to write a song about how bad, like, not all white people, but white people dance. That's the stuff that does. Well, the songs that are basically deaf comedy jam jokes from 1998.

[Jeff Arcuri]

You gotta look at those, man. That's when people send that, like, you know, like, that's. Yeah, that's good. That's awesome.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Thank you very much. Thank you very much. All right. So the reason I asked you all that is because this isn't your typical Tommy is not your typical who record. This is what, their fourth album. And it's. It's a rock opera. It's a Broadway show. Before Broadway. New. It wanted electric guitars. But I also really liked about this, and I don't know, maybe it's because I'm just trying to hear this kind of right now. This record's almost like a spiritual journey. That's what I really liked the most about this. I'd never liked this record. I made fun of this kind of. I was like, rock and roll shouldn't be an opera. Like, it shouldn't be. I just. But I also just never thought about why they would do it and also how hard something like this is. And when I bring up the spiritual journey thing, too, I have one kind of funny story about not meeting Pete Townsend, but being in the room with someone on the phone with Pete Townsend. That so. I know. Crazy enough. Dude, come on, dude. I'm like, forest Gun, bro.

[Jeff Arcuri]

Nothing but that sounds believable with me.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yes. Right. No, I know, dude, hold on. I'm getting a call from Alice Cooper.

[Jeff Arcuri]

Yeah, but it's funny because that doesn't sound that crazy, being in the room with a person who's on the phone with somebody else.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yes. Yes. Hold on. Wait a second. Timberland. Whatever you want to eat, just eat it. Yeah, I got Timberland over there. Like, everybody. It's like Josh Adam Myers World Jelly. What's going on? MGK capacity. Pet lacquer. So, Toll Wilkenfeld, you've probably met her because she's been hanging out at the Cellar. She. She's a bass player. One of the most famous bass players ever. She's been a homie. I met her through Jeff Ross. He brought her to the Comedy Store, and we became homies. And she invited me over to her house. She has, like, a house slash recording studio. I think we're going to do something. And she was on the phone and she's like, hold on just a second. And she just, like, covers up. She goes, it's Pete Townsend. And I'm like, oh, yeah, continue. And they're. And then she puts me on speaker. Not to say anything, just to hear that he's talking and being like, what they're talking about. And he's talking about, like, Vendanto, which is this, like, like very. It's like before Buddhism and Hinduism, it was this religion. It's kind of like Buddhism. I didn't really research. Exactly. More about it. But what was, what was cool about that time was like I was going through, like, an existential crisis. So I was kind of. I think that's one of the reasons I was going over there. She met. I met with, like, an energy clearer. But the idea of him. I know he's a very deeply spiritual person, so. So with all the motives, and we'll probably get into as much as we can with all the themes that are in this record, it's pretty spot on that there would be this solid foundation of spiritual journey more than just some, like, deaf guy, but it's also, like, written by four lunatics who somehow thought, you know, you know what rock music needs? A deaf, dumb and blind pinball wizard. That's a tough sell, but pinball was big in the 70s, so. Do you remember the first time you heard this?

[Jeff Arcuri]

What? The, the, the Pinball Wizard?

[Josh Adam Myers]

No. Well, just the album. The who? Not the album, Tommy.

[Jeff Arcuri]

I don't know. No, I don't.

[Josh Adam Myers]

You don't. You can't pinpoint it?

[Jeff Arcuri]

No, I, I, I, I'm trying to remember it. If I'm being honest, man, I'm sorry.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Don't worry. We'll cut this part out. We'll be like, you know, like, dude, we lost about five minutes. The Internet connection.

[Podcast Narration/Chorus]

Yeah.

[Josh Adam Myers]

At the Best Western.

[Jeff Arcuri]

I've, I've songs. I'm sorry, you know.

[Josh Adam Myers]

No, dude, you don't have to apologize about anything. When I. So the record, Tommy, if you've never heard it, Tommy. I'll basically give everybody the plot. A kid watches his dad murder his mom's lover. His parents tell him he didn't see anything. The trauma makes him deaf, dumb, and blind. He's abused by relatives, bullied, molested, discovered he's incredible at pinball. This is like following your journey, Jeff. Isn't this crazy? This is like the Jeff R. Kerry story. He's molested.

[Jeff Arcuri]

No, I feel it.

[Josh Adam Myers]

What if I say all this and you're like, how did you know I was molested? I was like, no, wait. All right. Actually, no, don't cut it. Act like we're cutting it. Get. It's an exclusive. So, yeah, I mean, basically, this is. It's. It's basically he discovers a pinball, how incredible he is, becomes a huge religious leader on earth, then to all his followers, they immediately turn on him. It's. This is, this is a Netflix pitch, if you ask me. It's like, can we make it a little bit more believable, though? Not pinball. Maybe make It Rock Band. The album is so insane that if Pink Townsend walked into a record label today, they'd hand him a therapist instead of a recording contract. And this became one of the greatest records ever. Not because it's weird, though. Not because it's weird. Good.

[Jeff Arcuri]

Well, isn't that. Doesn't that say something about, like, the industry today? That they probably be saying no today to that because it's not marketable? It seems a little insane. And it's like, yeah, that's the way things used to be, dude. You needed one person to believe in you. Like to give you a shot at something and throw it out. And you never know how many people are gonna resonate with it, you know.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Well, you know what's cool about. About. Let me see what this exactly came out. I just want to make sure. I don't. I don't. This math up. So. Oh, this is 1969. Okay. Hollywood the time, you know, before. And I don't know exactly when new Hollywood started. I think it had to start in the late 60s. There was a movie like they used to do these big budget movies. Cleopatra was one of them. And Cleopatra was at the time the biggest budget film, I'm pretty sure, ever. And it bombed. And Elizabeth Taylor in it. And it bombed. And just as that was bombing in the Hollywood studio system was like, what do we do? Like, do we, you know, do we do, like, do we keep doing this? They have. This is like, we're gonna lose money if we keep making another bomb. They saw all of these, like, young filmmakers coming out of, like, film schools, working with people like Roger Corman who can make a movie for a low budget. And those people happen to be Steven Spielberg, Peter Bogdanovich, Scorsese, like, basically the. Some of the. The guys that changed filmmaking moving forward and they gave him These hundred thousand, $200 thousand, sometimes a million to make a movie. And. And those movies because people, I think, wanted something a little bit real. Now in music, don't Forget this is 69. The idea of a concept record from a band that's already popular. Do you know what I mean? Like, they're not. They're not somebody like the. Who sell out is a big record. I'm just going back on some of them a quick one. We did that in 60. We already did that on the podcast. Did that in 66. The. The band has already done, like, had the hit. Like, you know, people died. So there are a band that. That people know who they are, they're popular and then don't Forget the Beatles. Put out something like sergeant Pepper. You know what I'm saying? It's already so it's not like doing a concept record in rock and roll is a completely different thing. Let me see. Let me see where I can find out why this is one of the most important. Because I basically have it.

[Podcast Narration/Chorus]

It.

[Josh Adam Myers]

So this is why this record is so great. 1. It's the first rock opera ever that actually. Not ever. I don't say that that actually worked. You know what I mean? The songs are good on this. This isn't. You know, this isn't like there's a story. Because that's the thing, I think with musicals. Like, I went to go see Wicked when I had vocal cord surgery and I needed. Like, there was no concerts. I'd seen every movie. And it was like the. Talking of the. You know, it's like, I need to get to the wizard, but how do I get there? You make a left down there and make a right over there. And then you.

[Jeff Arcuri]

My favorite scene, by the way, from Wicked, go left at the end of

[Josh Adam Myers]

the street, go left. There'll be a guy right there. Go past that guy. Walk over there. Do that thing I do. I could write a musical so easily. But, you know, that's. That's so. But this isn't cheesy because it's coming from a band. Like, the whole. Nearly every song moves the narrative, you know, but it's still good. The characters return. There's musical themes returning. The melodies reappear, though this time with different meanings. It's. It's more of like watching a movie than. Than listening to singles. This is like, you know, before this, it's like, think of this. Albums were a collection of songs. Tommy made the album feel just like one giant piece, you know? And outdoor spinity with Stand up is like, have you ever built. When you were building your hour or even if you're building your next one, because I know it changed. You know, it's Stand Up. Is there ever where you're secretly trying to connect? Were you trying to connect every bit on the special to the next joke? You know what I mean? Are you all trying to streamline it?

[Jeff Arcuri]

Absolutely, dude. I think that's like, one of my favorite things is when you have. Like, I have a joke now that I had no place for. It was a true story that happened with my dad about my. My dad not knowing my mom's favorite flower. It doesn't make any sense, but it's like a catchphrase joke that I have a true Story that happened always got a laugh. But it's such a. There's no way to enter that joke. And I've always had it. I had it in my repertoire. It come up randomly. And I was recently writing jokes about still learning things as a husband, and I was like, boom. My dad. I watched my dad learn about something about my mom after 50 years of marriage. And then I did that joke, and then now it's boom. Now it's a little. It's a little more, you know, it's coherent into that, an extra minute into this chunk. And then I have another. I've read another joke in a month that's a little bit related to maybe dads or moms or catch whatever it is that could segue out of that, and then I can, like, add that to it. So I love finding the glue between the bits.

[Josh Adam Myers]

How are you with the new hour? Are you feeling like you're getting it together or.

[Jeff Arcuri]

Yeah, I did. You know what made me confidence? I did that great outdoors comedy festival.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Oh, yeah. In Canada. Yeah.

[Jeff Arcuri]

Dude, I gotta have you. I gotta have you. If they have me do it again, I think they will. I gotta have you. Come open.

[Josh Adam Myers]

I would love that. I would love that they're having you back. Trust me, dude, you'll be returning to many of the places you've been performing at. I love that. Like, if they have me back, they would love. They'd be like, thank God we got Jeff. We got Jeff. You don't realize people are doing that. People like, dude, Adele did. I'm not gonna give him a shot. The stand basically did that. When I said, hey, Jeff said he's in. They're like, we got this, Jeff.

[Jeff Arcuri]

Well, I. They're so cool there. They. They. They have two huge, like, nine by 16 video screens. Like, but I'm talking huge, like, probably 40, 50ft high screens. So I had a guy run around with a camera and a mic, and I do crowd work that way, so I had, like, a fun way to do it, but it thousand people out there, and I was nervous because I was like, I haven't headlined in a while. I was just promoting. I'm doing the special and stuff. But I. You know, a full contractual hour is like, oh, of a lot of new material or stuff that didn't make the special that I want to rework and this and that. So I spent the week fixing it and. And taking this and moving it there. And, dude, that was like, one of the. The funnest, like, times is when I'm in my Notebook and figuring it out. And I did. And right before I went up on the first show, my tour manager, Erica, you met her, she goes, hey, they. They would like to be done by this time. So is you. Is you doing 50 to 55? Okay? And I'll go. I go, absolutely. It is like, yes, I'll stick to that. I promise you. And that gave me that extra tiny boost of confidence that I'm like, I for sure have it now. You know, I wasn't gonna have to stretch to 60 on new material. And it was so damn fun. The show was so fucking fun. I got lucky. There was no rain. Everyone else had something them up. Ronnie Chang and Hasan Minaj had, like, rain, thunderstorms come, all got canceled because of a hurricane. Mine were daytime shows, and they were so fun, and it gave me a lot of confidence to, like, oh, I can do this again. Like, I'm gonna be. I'll be back. You know, I wouldn't record what I have right now as an hour, but I know that it's. There's basically a lot of, like, handfuls of great jokes in this hour that will be in this. The next taping for sure.

[Podcast Narration/Chorus]

Really?

[Josh Adam Myers]

It's great, man. Yeah. I mean, well, because when you changed everything when you started working on the new. When you were, like. When you. The Netflix thing you had. Because you've been. It's always saying, like, your first. Most people's first specials, everything been working on their whole life. And yours was like. It shifted so quickly, you know, which is so awesome that you were able to do this. You still have years of material to streamline together. You should know what you should do. You should. You should follow the rules of this record. You should put molestation in a pinball wizard messiah,

[Jeff Arcuri]

And then.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah, pinball. All right. I'm wondering myself. I remember when I started going through this record. Maybe it wasn't this record. It was Quadrophenia with my buddy Morty, used to. Who still helps me with the albums and, like, get me, you know? But I think there's something interesting I was, like, trying to figure out, like, why would the band do this? Like, why would Pete Townsend in the band, you know, like, want to make a musical? It just doesn't seem very rock and roll. You know what I mean? It would be, like, what would be the comedian equivalent of the who doing a rock opera?

[Jeff Arcuri]

I think I know exactly what it'd be. It would be a comedian doing a rock opera.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Hey, man, that's what I'm doing right now, bro. That's what I'm doing.

[Jeff Arcuri]

I would say. I would say a comedian transitioning into any serious art, whether that be dramatic acting, painting, music, anything that that takes a dramatic turn in any way as a comedian is inherently silly because of where they came from, as opposed to, you know, like the who being a cooler or more popular band at the time and then shifting into something that's also very adjacent and very artistic in the same genre of what they're doing isn't as much of a. But I guess that is. How uncool was rock opera when in 69.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Well, here I'm. Here's what. As you were doing this, I have all this research. I sometimes have too much research, so I'm trying to, like, pinpoint it so I might ramble as I'm, like, scrambling. Is this page 17?

[Jeff Arcuri]

You said as you were doing this. I was doing research. You mean as I was talking to you.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Listening. Dude, bro, I can do both. Okay. I could do this with. Dude, you're my homie. This is when it's easy. This is when I can be. I could be more like, whatever, dude. I got like, Neil DeGrasse Tyson on next week. Like, all. Yeah, dude, bro, I got like, maybe.

[Jeff Arcuri]

I don't mean to be disrespectful. I was just. You're my buddy. I'm just busting.

[Josh Adam Myers]

No, see, that I love. That's where you. I took it as you were being lovable, even busting balls. You didn't have to apologize because I

[Jeff Arcuri]

was throwing it back as Tyson next week.

[Josh Adam Myers]

No, he came on a while ago. We've already done that one. I. Dude, the hours of research that I had to do, and it's for. And that's the thing is that you'll sit down with some. These people and you'll be, like, nervous, and you're like, oh, man, you're the coolest. Like, you made me comfortable. Like, like, I'm trying to remember, like, Brandon Boyd, the lead singer of Incubus. Like, and he's not like, you know, but I like that name drop. I'll pick it up. I, I. But no, but that's. I'm just trying to give the idea is that, like, I had, you know, when I had the lead singer of Bush on. I made one joke at the beginning, and it just like, like, it like, he just had no sense of humor. He wasn't a bad guy. Maybe the joke wasn't good because I think I opened by saying, like, I said, I said, I said, what was it like being the hottest man in the world for all of the 90s. And he goes, so we're here to talk about David Bowie, right? And I'm like, okay, nevermind. Shut me down. Yeah. And. And then I had, like, I think two weeks later, I had Brandon on, and I. And I made a very similar joke, but in a. Much like, let me just change it to fit him. And he just was like, yeah. He's like, well, he's. He was like, yeah, it was really fun. You know, it was really fun. I'm not gonna lie. Like, you don't think. I think I took my shirt off sometimes. Like, just. If I can get the attention. But yeah, dude. And that's what I'm saying.

[Jeff Arcuri]

Just.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Dude. Rob Lowe was immediately like, bro. He answered everything. He knew. The. The lead singer, Bush doesn't know that. That's one of the main reasons that band was popular.

[Jeff Arcuri]

Sure. But he's so cool, dude.

[Podcast Narration/Chorus]

He's just.

[Josh Adam Myers]

You're not wrong. We're not friends. We're not friends. I wish we were. I tried. So I. But I. I found. I found the.

[Podcast Narration/Chorus]

The.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Why? Because you're always like, why would a band want to do this? Like, what's. What's going on with the band? So before this comes out, this is what. This is what the who is dealing with. And if you ever listen to the who Sells out, we did that record on my podcast. There's like, three. In my opinion, there were, like, two or three good songs on there, and the rest of them are these, like, weird commercials. So it's considered now a masterpiece. But it wasn't huge commercial success, strong reviews, but didn't sell like the Beatles were selling and the Stones were selling. You guys got to keep in mind, man, the who, from. From my understanding, you know, they're. They're in that echelon of those great British bands. So you have to be like, would you say you're incompetent? I mean, I. I don't think you. I would never think that you are, but you know what I mean? You have people that you started with. I remember Jarrod Carmichael and Angelo Bowers. Like, they were the two best guys in our group, and they would try to one up one another with better jokes. Same thing with Burr and Patrice. That's why they're so. They were such good friends, is because they made each other work harder, because one guy would bring a better joke. Is there anybody that you started with that you know, if you can. If you don't feel comfortable saying the name, but they're homies, I think.

[Jeff Arcuri]

I think me and Sheen would. Jeff Sheen would do that a lot. Where we would hang out. We were roommates. We'd hang out a lot, and we'd be like. There'd be like, sometimes we'd be riffing, and then there'd be like a. A competition to that bit. Like, who wrote that just now? If we're both object. Who's getting it? And that also, like. Yeah, I mean, there's natural competition in a healthy way, I think.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Very healthy. Healthy. Healthy one is your friend, I mean, but also, like, I think there is. There's. There's competition because when it's competition against people that, like, if there's like. If there's like anger behind it, you know, some people can use that to be good. You know what I mean? Where it's like a lot of. A lot of sports figures, they. They, you know, John Wall played with a chip on his shoulder. Gilbert Arenas, like, a lot of the guys that I loved. I play with a chip on my shoulder, bro. I'm like. You know what I mean? It's like, I'm never like, you know, I'm not gonna let somebody decide. And you should never just let somebody decide your happiness or where you're going in your success. And if a door is closed, you pivot and you go, all right, I'm gonna keep doing this, obviously, but it's like, I can't control that right now, and I'm getting frustrated, so I gotta put my energy into something else. And that is how white people can't dance. The next song by Josh Adam Myers featuring Clavicular.

[Jeff Arcuri]

But there was definitely. There was not.

[Podcast Narration/Chorus]

Not.

[Jeff Arcuri]

There's not zero malice in competition. There's never zero anger. There's never 0% only friendly competition. Like, there is gonna be like, if you have a competitive nature, you want to win, which means you want to do better than someone else. There's always going to be a little bit of negativity to competition innately. But I think it comes from a good. It was coming from a good place.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Well, I don't know if. I don't know, but from what I'm understanding about Pete, because Pete seems like the one in the band that definitely has the Dr. And has that kind of competition and that anger, because he's basically after that record the who sell come out in 70s 67. He's starting to get worried that the band is getting. Just becoming great with their singles instead of truly becoming a great album band. And if you think about the Beatles. That's their album. They got great singles, and their albums rule. Stones, you know, Like, I think. I think once they did. Started writing original material, which we covered a few albums ago, I don't figure which one it was, but it's like, yeah, they started coming into their own. And so he felt that the band needed a defining artistic statement. So they weren't. They weren't failing, but they were in danger of becoming a band people loved without ever becoming important, which, you know, it's like. It's. You want to be. You want people.

[Jeff Arcuri]

You.

[Josh Adam Myers]

You know, especially musicians. I think they have a bigger ego than comics, maybe, because it's that, like, rock God. Like, you know, I think some comics might, like, have that ego to be like, yeah, like, look at the way I crush. You know, But I think there's. I think with musicians, there's that, like, you know, the. The. Just the outfits, the hair, it's like they all look like, you know, Achilles. Not in the Odyssey. No. No. Shade to Elliot Page.

[Jeff Arcuri]

Because there's me, too. That whole, like, have, like, you want to be that version of this thing. You don't want to be, like, I don't want to. I don't know, like, the Bee Gees or. You don't want to be this, like. Oh, yeah, your mom listened to that. You know what I mean? You want to be. You were cool then, and you're timelessly cool. That's the same thing with comics. Not wanting to be hacks. Not wanting to be, you know, not for nothing, like a Gallagher. I was just thinking about Gallagher today for no reason. What show was the first one, you

[Josh Adam Myers]

know, that it went south or that it went. No, that blew him up.

[Jeff Arcuri]

You know what I'm gonna try tonight.

[Josh Adam Myers]

You know what I mean? Oh, yeah. Oh, God. I mean. Changed his life, though, dude.

[Jeff Arcuri]

No, I know it's a creative decision that made him who he is and was or whatever, but there was a night that he's like, you know, I'm gonna. I think I might bring this sledgehammer in a watermelon. Like, there's a night to make that active decision. It wasn't. You know what I mean? I don't know. I was thinking about that, and it

[Josh Adam Myers]

wasn't a watermelon at first. Unless. Unless he nailed it on the first try. Like, he knew the watermelon was. Was the thing. I wonder if it was like, how about this papaya? Yeah, yeah.

[Jeff Arcuri]

What this. This rescue animal, you know?

[Podcast Narration/Chorus]

Okay.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Jesus Christ. Cut that, cut that. Abort.

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[Josh Adam Myers]

okay, real talk if you're making music independently and you're not using Distrokid, what are you even doing? Distrokid gets you music on a Spotify, Apple music. All of it. Without a label, without a middleman, without someone in a blazer taking a cut of your dreams, Uploading is genuinely easy. You put your song in, you fill some stuff out, and boom, you're on streaming platforms. And if you've got collaborators, Distrokid's splits feature automatically pays everyone their share. No awkward Venmo requests, no spreadsheets, no losing a friendship over 17. You can even stop jackasses from stealing your music and uploading it to streaming services without your permission with Distro Lock. Plus, the DistroKid app lets you check your streaming stats from Spotify and Apple, see your earnings in your Distrokid bank, and withdraw your royalties right from your phone. You get a push notification when money comes in. A push notification, that's the closest thing to a record deal most of us are getting. And honestly, it's better. And check out their new Instant Share feature. You can securely send large files to producers, playlist, curators, booking agents. Whoever needs to hear your stuff, [e-mail] Backslash Instant Share thanks so much to Distrokid for being a proud sponsor of this show. Let's get back to the podcast. By the way, by the way, I want to. I, I, I don't want to. Like, I'm gonna leave it in, but dude, you can't talk. The Bee Gees, bro. The Bee Gees. Saturday Night Fever. You said your parents music.

[Jeff Arcuri]

I meant the Monkeys, bro.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Once again, don't let DJ the Monkeys. All right, you're not wrong, but also, you're not right. We're not right.

[Jeff Arcuri]

Like, yeah, I would love to be compared to the Monkeys.

[Josh Adam Myers]

I. I think. No, I know, because the. The Monkeys are a band that. That, you know, they're not in the Rock and Roll hall of Fame, even though they deserve to be, because they were a band. They were like a boy band put together for a television show and to make records. But they. Eventually, they were so popular. So popular that they then did that turn where it's like, we're gonna write our own music. And. And so they kind of tried it, but you. They couldn't shed that thing from the beginning. But still, they're never going to be as big and they're not ever going to be in the discussion as some of the bands we're talking about on this podcast. But if they are important to rock music. And so my buddy Morty, it's like, yeah, dude, they have a. They have a right to be in the Rock and Roll hall of Fame. They're important. You know what I mean? Whether it's. It's like, dude, in sync, you know? In sync, dude. Backstreet Boys has a strong case to be in there. They didn't write anything.

[Jeff Arcuri]

Right. But that's my. I guess that's my. My question is, like, you. You're. You're saying that they didn't want to be.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah, they just. They just. They were. They knew that they were stuck. They knew that they were stuck. And I think they were basically on the verge of breaking up. Don't forget, being in a band, you're dealing with other people. People. And so what I found is, so. So Pete being the, like, the future rested on him. That's the way he felt. He wrote almost all the material, everyone except him to come up with the next big guy. They expected him to come up with the next big idea because he was their guy. He worried that he had already peaked. He became obsessed with creating something that would change rock music. He also admitted later that it's felt almost impossible with the amount of pressure to keep pushing himself creatively. I. I mean, I wanted to. I want to ask the question, too. And I mean, we. I know we.

[Jeff Arcuri]

I don't know.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Can do. Are you. Can you do till 6:33,33,30pm your time? Can you do that or you have something else? To me, you can do it. Okay, cool. So did you. Yeah, you're good. So you're good. All right. Did you. When you. Right. What was. When you started posting clips? Were you. I mean, because how long were you doing stand up When. When you started putting the. On the Internet?

[Jeff Arcuri]

It Would have been almost 13 years when I started posting, which is.

[Josh Adam Myers]

And, and did you have any like, bursts of success or like those tastes? Because, you know, because I know that's the thing is that people are gonna be like, it felt like he came out of nowhere. Same thing with Matt Rife. And I'm not putting you, Matt, right in the same thing. You know, you have. You are far better looking than Matt Rife. I don't give a what anybody says. Okay? You're. You are gorgeous. Did you. Because, like, dude, like, that's the thing is that like, I got new faces before I was. I should have gotten it. I got it five years in at five, you know, which is crazy. I wasn't developed, I don't think. I think I've just gotten funny and just became who I wanted to be. Like, did you. Was there frustration at 13 years before? Because it always, you just always seem so, like, laissez faire. Like, it's all, yeah, man, just go with the flow. Like, like, you tell me, you know

[Jeff Arcuri]

what it was first. I think it was the. You just have to sign up to just. You got to do it because you love it. So if I, if I, I would. If I gave up on my comedy, if I were to ever have given up on my comedy, I wouldn't have stopped doing comedy. You know what I mean? I would have, like, gotten a job, but I probably would have done comedy a couple times a week because I just love doing it so much. But I did, I did have a lot of nudges throughout the 13 years that were enough for me to live on, keep me going. Like, I remember I got like, laughs on Fox.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Oh, yeah. Steve Hofstadter, bro. Zero dollar payment, right?

[Jeff Arcuri]

And I got a little tiny quick spot on 1am Television. So that was a thing that didn't say I was bad. You know what I mean?

[Podcast Narration/Chorus]

Yeah.

[Jeff Arcuri]

You know, featuring. Having headliners say good job. Like all those small things. And then like 2017, the year I moved to New York, I got Colbert. So that was like a. Hey, look, someone saw me. I did a festival. I got like, I placed in a comedy composition. Like, I placed. Well, I didn't win. Yeah, there's just like a lot of things that gave me like a thumbs up that, hey, you, you, you're. It's okay. Just keep going. Like, I'm only gonna get better. I would like to. Even when I got discovered, when I was posting, I was like, I don't want to start going into overdrive. I want to keep this Pace I'm at right now, I want to. I want to get better and better and better. And then what, four years later, my Netflix special comes out? And I wouldn't have changed the thing. I wouldn't have. I wouldn't. I'm not sitting here like, I wish it was a year sooner because then I wouldn't have had all that material. You know, I wouldn't want, if anything, a year later. But then I wouldn't have had the same freshness with the material.

[Josh Adam Myers]

It. So my question, though, which. Which you get those flashes, but let's say 2021, 2022 is when you start posting, you know, where were you at in your. In your career? And let me not know, your career, not your career. Like, your mental state about your career. I had.

[Jeff Arcuri]

I had become. What's the word for when you just give up, but you're happy, intense.

[Podcast Narration/Chorus]

You.

[Josh Adam Myers]

You just. You let. You gave it up to the universe, man. I mean, content. Yeah. You're content. Or just. You're just like.

[Jeff Arcuri]

Like, you.

[Josh Adam Myers]

You know, just like, listen, man, it's. I love doing this. Yeah.

[Jeff Arcuri]

But let me tell you what happened. I actually felt content with. When I got on to doing cruise ships was when I was like, yo, you. You're telling me I get to do comedy every night and I can make six figures a year, and I get to travel to, like, other countries. I go, why would I ever think this isn't making it to anyone else in the world? This is the top, top 1% of an occupation to have or you have. I have the material right now. If I never wrote another joke, I could live on this cruise ship and make six figures and be fine. And I was like, that's. That's a good outlook, that everything's fine right now where it is. You got to kind of be happy with where you are sometimes. And I was fine with it. And then, you know, I was getting better and better and better doing the cruise ships. And then when I got the Cellar, I was. I. I finally got that fire again where I'm like. Like, I think I might give up the thing that I could be happy with this cruise ship. I'm gonna quit cruises and try and get on to, you know, being at the Cellar more and getting better at it and taking my career to where it is now. First stuck in this, like, hey, I can make this happiness. You know what I mean?

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah. When the next thing is about. I wanted to talk about, like, financial pressure, but I always feel like you probably. You had. Because that's what the band was dealing with, because people often assume they were rich, like the who, but, you know, management contracts weren't favorable to them. Touring's expensive. Equipment's expensive. I mean, you know about touring. I mean, dude, you're gonna pay 30 for an Uber. That's. That's killing you.

[Jeff Arcuri]

We get away with murder compared to. I don't know. Overhead for bands is insane. Insane.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Bro. Bro, Even when you're doing. Dude, I bet you Shane made nothing on that. That. That Philly show. You know what I mean? Even Madison Square guarded. I know he made something, obviously. Yes. But you know what? I'm. Bro, it's. Dude, he. With all the thing. The accoutrements and all this, like, it's expensive, dude. Madison Square Garden, I'm on my understanding, is the only. They. A lot of them do that just for ego. It's. You're not making the money you think you're actually. The only way you make money at Master Garden is if you do two nights and you can sell it out twice. Back to back.

[Podcast Narration/Chorus]

Back.

[Jeff Arcuri]

Sure. Australia. They offered to me Sydney Opera House if I wanted it, or State Theater, which is a beautiful theater in Sydney. And they said, you can do either one. Here's. And it would. I would. I would make the same amount of. If I did the State Sydney Opera House, I'd have to sell more tickets. It'd be less of. It'd be a worse show because it's. The acoustics are meant for music. I would make less money and I'd have to sell more tickets, but it would be the Sydney Opera. I was like, no, I can't do that. I can't do it. Just to say I did it. I'll just. I'll do where the show's gonna be better. I'll make. I can fill the place in. Like, it won't be as many seats to have to sell out, you know,

[Josh Adam Myers]

and you could go, yeah. And that's it. For your first time going there. Yeah, it's a big deal, like, to be able to do it that way. And then you'll go back again. Because one time you'll be like, all right, now it's like, I know I could sell it out. And now you can just if you wanted to. Like, maybe not on your back.

[Jeff Arcuri]

Yeah, maybe more confidence with my larger scale theater performance, you know, like, the more I'm doing them, the more confident I am up there with them.

[Josh Adam Myers]

You're not confident yet, dude, what are you talking about, bro? I mean, you think million of them.

[Jeff Arcuri]

I Have.

[Josh Adam Myers]

But I Million. Okay.

[Jeff Arcuri]

Take a lot to get to the point where you're like, here we go again. I love this theater style thing. Like, I don't think. Yeah, yeah. I don't think I'm. I think I still have a lot to learn you.

[Josh Adam Myers]

I. I get it, dude. Because it's also. Doing a comedy club is like, comedy's not made. It's not made for a stadium, it's not made for an arena. Comedy is made for the comedy club. It's made for the brick wall. Yeah. I can see everybody. I can hear. See the waitresses. Like, that's all this.

[Jeff Arcuri]

That there are theaters that can be pretty sick for comedy. Like, have you.

[Josh Adam Myers]

If.

[Jeff Arcuri]

You know, like the Wilbur.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Oh, yeah, yeah. The Wilbur is great because it has the tables in the front.

[Podcast Narration/Chorus]

Fun.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah, that's great. All right. So Keith Moon in the band, he's starting to become unpredictable as well. He's drinking and doing drugs. And as we know that ended, managing him is becoming increasingly difficult. Roger and Peter. Peter are finally learning to work together. So the two most popular people in the band, you know, the singer and the. And the main songwriter, because Roger Daltley was briefly fired in 1965 after a conflict with the band. Pete and Roger, they clash over leadership and creative direction. Roger wasn't always convinced by Pete's more experimental ideas. John the basis, John Entwistle, he wants more recognition. And Pete basically has abandoned psychedelics. So that's kind of bringing us to where we are right now because he's, uh. This has basically changed everything. Like many of the musicians in the 60s, uh, a lot of them were doing psychedelics. Uh, Pete was experimenting with them. I don't think he'd get a record like this without it. But this is what flipped him to doing like meditation, becoming more spiritual, more self examination. And I think that one shift is the reason Tommy kind of feels different from other psychedelic error records. It isn't really celebrating like Altered Consciousness, is it genuinely a transformation, what it would be like in a more spiritual sense. But also rock and roll was, like we mentioned earlier, is becoming more ambitious. The competition's more intense. You have Hendrix redefining what to do on a guitar. Cream is just raising expectations for being a band and musicianship. Pink Floyd obviously is doing the drugs and out there. Led Zeppelin has now arrived with like a heavier sound. And the Beatles, like have expanded the possibilities of what an album is. And then you get where Pete takes the biggest gamble of their career. I just. I just think you talked about that earlier where it's like, imagine pitching that to your studio and being like, I want to do a 2Lp rock opera about a traumatized boy who plays pinball. And he's a champion. He's a champion, though. But he's also a reluctant spiritual leader. And I just think, you know, double albums is probably the thing that they were the most. Like, what? Yeah, that's. That's. We did a double album that's, you know, expensive a double album is. It's $3,000. That's how much it cost back then. They're like, that's $3,000. Do you think. Do you think they would look at the rich people like, the 1700s? Like, that dude's got, like. They're Imam Musk. Like, he's got a hundred bucks.

[Jeff Arcuri]

Yeah.

[Josh Adam Myers]

You know what he could do with a hundred bucks?

[Jeff Arcuri]

Oh, yeah, dude. I love the. I love, like that western era, late 1800s currency when. When money was what it's supposed to be now, where it's like, that'll be false sense. Like, perfect.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Or it's like, yeah. And all the old Woody Allen movies when it's him growing up. And I know he's a. Whatever you want to call him, but I still love radio days. It's just like, it's like you stole a nickel from the synagogue. It's like, oh, my. You know what they could have done with that nickel, you know, it's crazy, bro. I had to pay $10 for a popcorn that used to cost, like, just like three breaths. Like, I'll accept that. All right, so where were we? All right, so basically they. They were against it at first. Audiences weren't really in the idea of doing concept records. And also. But Pete, the band believed in Pete, and so he had. He basically written all their hits. Before Tommy, the who were one of the best live bands in the world. After Tommy, that the band became one of the most important bands in the world. And I kind of. I wanted to spin it back to you, which is about risk. Did you feel any risk when you started? Because this is a big. This is a big thing, man, to be a rock band. I'm trying to do a joke about how rock bands. How either. Either they're gay the whole time or they go gay, and then the audiences are like, nah. So either you're weird right from the beginning. And I don't mean to say gay. It's like, I said this to Roddy Bottom.

[Podcast Narration/Chorus]

The.

[Josh Adam Myers]

The. The keyboard is from Faith no More. And I'm like, such a huge fan and he is gay. And that's how he started. He was like, oh, he saw a Nine Inch Nails. Like, you know what I love about him? They've been gay the whole time. He goes. You know, other bands, they have that moment where they go gay. He goes, wait, what do you mean by that? And I'm like, my. The producer's like. Like, just eyes open up, like, dude, get out of it. But you know what I'm saying, It's like, dude, they're the.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

The.

[Josh Adam Myers]

The hair.

[Jeff Arcuri]

Like the hair metal. The hair metal band and stuff.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Well, I was saying it more like, either you're. Either you're male and female right from the beginning, where you're just. You're not normal. Like, David Bowie is not normal. He's not a normal. You know, he's not Creed. You know what I mean? You too. And nothing wrong with Creed, by the way, too. But I'm just saying they're like. They. If they had. The Creed went gay when he went drunk and, like, would fall down on stage and kind of developed his ego, and the people turn on him from that. You too. You too. You would think. Hold on, hold on.

[Jeff Arcuri]

So when you say gay, you mean bad?

[Josh Adam Myers]

How we use gay, like in. All right, I'll start saying lame.

[Jeff Arcuri]

I thought you meant literally, like a feminine turn. Like. No.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah. I mean, dude, Guns N' Roses, first record. Okay. Guns N' Roses first record, Appetite for Destruction. Every song is like, you know, a slap in your titties doing cocaine off your lips. It's all like, rock and roll. And then the second album, it's like, you know, November rain. Like, whoa. Like, where would but crying.

[Jeff Arcuri]

I would call that going gay.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah, that's going gay. Thank you. You know what I meant. You knew what I meant. It's. I'm. We're a little bit older. We use gay differently. I love gay people, by the way. This is not an out on gay people. And I've said this to gay people, and they're like, you're right. You two went gay. When they sent the record into everybody's eye phone that we didn't want. We didn't want it. So, yeah, this would be a turn. This could be a moment where the who goes gay. Where they're like, this is lame, dude. Like, this isn't. This isn't cool. Like. Like, you were this rock band and now you're doing this, like, musical. So it's a huge risk. Did you find it? Were you, like. How do I explain this? Like, do you. Did you, like, Were you worried about when he started posting clips? Or were you just kind of like, like, man, it's like people are gonna see this and just, and just on this. Or is it like, you know, what were your, what was it? Because it really, you, you were content. So it wasn't like you were doing this out of desperation, right? You were just like, oh, everybody's posting clips. I, I guess I'll start doing it, you know, I hope, like, people don't on it.

[Jeff Arcuri]

Yeah. I, I, I, I was seeing what was succeeding, and I was like, I'm doing that but not recording it. So I'm gonna, I, I, I think mine's better.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah.

[Jeff Arcuri]

And then I, in my life that I trusted and been like, this is good, right? And they're like, that was really funny. Did you make that? Or when was that? I like the editing. Like, it was a thing where I had people to kind of roll, bounce it off of before I just threw it to the whole world at the same time. But there was a lot of moments in the beginning where I was worried about posting crowd work in the beginning, too, a little bit where I'm like, I was a comedy purist, or that I was always very like, it's for the show. I remember getting into arguments with comics about how the Internet was going to ruin comedy because it's about the live show. It's not about the, it's not about the recordings of it, you know? And I, I remember, like, that switch where I'm like, man, I think I was wrong before. I think this might be the way to do it. And I could be wrong. I could. This could be me going like, like, how many comics do you know that complain about crowd work? But if you search back four years, you see they have, like, four clips they tried to post of them doing hard work. And you're like, all right, you just tried it, it didn't work, and now you hate it forever. So I didn't want to be the guy that was like, I won't ever do it. I'm not going to post to the Internet. And then I post the Internet. It doesn't work. And then I go back to being like, I don't want to do it. So I went into it like, I was definitely scared of being. Oh, God, I was so scared of being poorly. It took me until I was at the Cellar to think I could even. I was good at comedy.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Really?

[Jeff Arcuri]

That I was, like, acceptable to the Internet. Yeah.

[Josh Adam Myers]

You know what's funny is you posting. You posting those clips, and Doing crowd work, which you're already doing, but it's not, it's not your set because you have a set and you at that time, you're 13 years into doing standup. So you have 13 years worth of material and you have the stamp of recognition from Colbert. Which if you get, dude, if you get late night, I don't give a who you, you know, unless you're like, you're just like, you know, the flavor of the week. And they're like, well, we have to get this comic on because they have this thing like you got, you got it before you were posting clips. So obviously that's when it's based on. You had a six minute set that killed to that booker. And, and, and I'm assuming because you're so likable. You know, I know how funny you are. You probably did great, right? No, it was fun. Or you did not. Okay.

[Jeff Arcuri]

I was like, I know where he's going with this. I, I will say though, the one joke that I did like, that I did, I put one of the jokes is in my special, like get one of the game special. And my power crystals joke I brought back. Now I've been doing it again, but like better like, so I'm like, wow, it's been 10 years almost since I wrote that joke and I'm bringing it back now and just like applying it to the past. But rough said, you can go watch it. Go ahead and watch it. Watch the Netflix first if you're watching this. But yeah, watch that second.

[Josh Adam Myers]

That was so funny. You knew where I was going. You're like, okay, it could have been that bad, dude. Was it just. What, what do you mean bad?

[Jeff Arcuri]

Like so the way they did it was. It's funny actually now looking back. They did it like a block booked showcase.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Interesting.

[Jeff Arcuri]

And like Colbert brought us out when it was really just a five comic showcase doing five minutes each with a host. And the host, I for, I know his name actually I remember it, but I might hold it. Well, it was, he was very funny, but he was a warm up guy. And they would have the comic come out and warm the audience up and I would assume for 15 minutes or so, but it was maybe four or five minutes and then they just bring up the first comic and like we're just gonna be running through these sets so blah, blah, blah, Your first comedian, I want you guys all nuts. Some lady comes out with a clipboard, goes okay. And they go, ladies and gentlemen, Jeffrey Curie. And he comes out and I have to look at the desk and pretend he's there. And then I look at a full audience of people at 2pm on a Tuesday with no, with four minutes of warm up act. And I was first and it was. I think it was actually might have been. I think it was first. And I just had to go up and go. And then they were like, and then we'll tap you. So don't move after you're set until we tap you. Like tap the back of your back. Like so this way you're not like, okay, I sat down, they clapped. Thank you guys. Thank you very much. And I clap and they like come out and nobody tapped me. And I remember they were supposed to tap me. And so I think if you look back at like there was like footage of the green room. They were saying like I was standing there and I was like this. People were clapping still. And you could see people coming out and moving set. And the guy was.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Oh.

[Jeff Arcuri]

And he like went over and tapped me. I was like, dude, I feel like an idiot. You know. Nothing wrong with. Yeah, all that stuff was fine. It was great. But the only thing I didn't like was that it was like I. I thought my late night. I wanted it to be. I mean the comes in, says hi and goes, thanks for doing it. I saw your stuff online, whatever. It may.

[Podcast Narration/Chorus]

Yeah,

[Jeff Arcuri]

whatever. But this was very corporate way. It was for me and it was almost like disappointing for me. But it was in such a dumb way where it's like, why would I be disappointed in something like this is a dream to get to do this. I just didn't. I thought it was gonna be like tv, you know.

[Josh Adam Myers]

And do you remember who else was on it? Like, yeah, comics.

[Podcast Narration/Chorus]

Who?

[Jeff Arcuri]

That was the thing. I think that Ahmed Barusha was on

[Josh Adam Myers]

it out of la.

[Jeff Arcuri]

He did really well, I think really like after me. So that was a. That was.

[Josh Adam Myers]

They tapped him. They tapped him. They were supposed to tap him back. Like, look, they tapping everybody.

[Jeff Arcuri]

And that was something else that was like, when you do bad, there's a second bad you can do. And that's when you see someone else go up and do well. You know what I mean?

[Josh Adam Myers]

100 or. Or you can. Even if you do bad, you can also do bad by like, like handing, you know, handing the mic. Like, like this, the mic cord falling out or any of those other little things.

[Jeff Arcuri]

Saved me. I bet you that would have made me set funnier because I would have reacted to it. I would have been myself. I went up. It was just like, huh, man. It was Very. It was bad.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Hold on. I want to ask the question because I want to. I only got a little more time left and I want to try to cover. Just put it like our little stamp on this. How much. How fast did this record blow up up. Did this record blow up? Because that's. I wanna. That's the question I want to ask you too. And you've probably been asked this before. I'm sorry, I'm shocking if I never did. But I always find it interesting where it's like that moment that you know it's a good thing. You know what I mean? Holy. Like this is a. And you might have been asked this already about a billion times, but I find this interesting. And I think the 50 year old guys that are in their mom's basement, you know, listening to this podcast, you know, not even on a. On an ipod, on a Zune, a Microsoft Zune. The first their competition to the ipod. So I wrote. So it's like how fast this record blew up almost immediately. But it happened in stages. It wasn't like, you know, never mind where one single explodes overnight. Tommy built momentum incredibly fast over the course of a few months and then became a phenomenon through touring. That was the thing that Morty had said to me me is that why this was cool? And I want to make sure I get this right. So let me show I don't it up. But while this was cool that because it's mostly what it changes the fans and I think I see I can spin this back to you as well. Good or bad for. For comedy like the crowd work thing or what do you want to call it? I want to call it like phenomenon is like. Because what's so cool about you is a lot of comics, you know that, that, that start with you first. I'll compliment you first. You have such great material that people might not have seen the material. They know they like you from the crowd work. They love how likable you are, how quick you are, which is a gift. And then they come to the show and having opened for you so many times, it's like, oh, this is funny. Like you've got material. Whereas other people who have blown up or had like six sex success us don't have that like that thing where it's like I don't know anybody that's ever said anything bad about you. And he was so cool. Because I know that you love comedy and I was there with you when a comic that you respected like when we were at the. The bot. The bar when Chappelle was in town, remember? And. And what's his. And I don't even say it, but he came up, and he was like, bro, like, I watched your set. You killed, man.

[Jeff Arcuri]

Yeah, that's cool.

[Josh Adam Myers]

And that's awesome, dude. And that's. That's the. And I know how much of it, because I've sat there. We talk comedy in the cars. In the cars that you're like, you can drive faster because every minute is another $5. Please, please.

[Jeff Arcuri]

But.

[Josh Adam Myers]

But you know what I'm saying? It's like, you care about it, and that is what makes you great. That is why you. You're deserving the success because you are a true comedy purist. You're not doing it for just, like, for the bucks or the fame, and I think that is really awesome.

[Jeff Arcuri]

Thanks, man.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Dude, I mean that. Like, I'm doing it for both. I want the art, and I want the. Dude, get ready. You think my ego is bad now? Now, when one of these songs goes, dude, which they will. I'm telling you, bro, I don't know which one it's gonna be. I'm hoping it's. I'm hoping it's this dog one I wrote. That's. Yeah, dude, I wrote one because Adam Ray hits me up. He goes, dude, keep doing dirty. Keep doing the you're doing because it rules. He goes, if you can write some clever, like. Like. Like Jing. Because, dude, I see myself. I'm sending songs to, like, bands and, like, famous bands that I'm friends with, the guys that I'm cool with, and they're like, this is a good song. Like, you could probably sell this. And I'm like, All right, Dr. Pepper, baby.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Bro.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Dude, I wrote an Uncle Ben's commercial back in 2017, and now it's gone because of, you know, 2020 changed everything. There's no more Uncle Ben. But it was like. But I play it off my phone. It's just. I'll sing it because it'll take me too long to find it. But goes Uncle Ben. It's perfect every time.

[Jeff Arcuri]

But I feel like it sounds like he's getting off a horse, though, at the beginning of that.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Bro, I'm gonna show you right now, why me? My voice has changed a lot, too. Uncle Ben's Uncle Ben. I'll tell you when I wrote it. Uncle Ben Rice jingle, April 15th.

[Jeff Arcuri]

Let's play it. Play it.

[Josh Adam Myers]

There you go. It's gonna be the exact same thing I just did because I had perfect pitch. It's perfect every time your Girlfriend's like,

[Jeff Arcuri]

get in the bed.

[Josh Adam Myers]

She's talking to lack of, like, get in the bed like six times. Oh, go.

[Jeff Arcuri]

That's what. That's what people living with you have to deal with, is you just walking around just going, jiffy peanut butter,

[Josh Adam Myers]

Dude, can you imagine, bro? My neighbors, My neighbors. I'm. I'm doing music from 7am until 7am I literally am up all night. And now I'm live streaming it because I want to show people, like, how. Because I'm starting to get all these fans. And I'm like, bro, like, watch it. Help me. Like, dude, I found. There's a. There's a one I'm gonna drop. It's. It was a. It was a. There's a store in South Carolina called the Dixie Shop. And it's literally the most race. I mean, it's. It's just selling the Confederate flag on different things. And I saw the people. Yeah, we're so happy to be here at the Dixie Shop. And I was like. And I. And I sat down at the computer. I do my morning live stream where it's like, hey, guys, every morning is the first thing I do when I wake up is I make a song, and it's before I walk the dog. I sit down for 10 minutes and I. Now I'm like, I'm gonna live stream that and see if I come up with anything. If I get some kind of following, maybe that'll help build Tick Tock xyz, whatever. And I sat down and I'd seen that clip, and I was like. I picked up my guitar and I. And there's like, you know, 20, 30 people in there, and I'm like, you know, so I'm gonna do something like this. I show him the clip and then I start playing it. And the guy goes. He goes, that's cool. Save that for something else. This needs to be more country. And I go, you're right. You're right. And then I go, well, I worked on this thing for. I made fun of, you know, I'm not gonna say who, but I sent it to a couple comics that know. And I'll send it to you, but there's a podcaster's wife who was a little vocal on some things, and I was. And I'm friends with the guy, but I was like, I'm gonna send this to Mark Norman. It's kind of funny. And I used don't let. Don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys. And I was like, let me use it, you know, Comedians don't let your wives talk on podcasts. And then I do the whole thing, and I was like, oh, I could just. Could I use that? And then I was like, oh, it's perfect. And then I basically. Not only did I write it and finish it and record it, but one of the lines I was stuck on, and one of the guys on the live stream sent me the line, it should be that. And I was like, oh, my God. And I was like, dude, you literally just gave me, like, you know, think of, like, you know, in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make. I'll tell you what the line was.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Hold on.

[Josh Adam Myers]

He's having it right here. It's really like. It's not on that scale at all. It's. They. Okay, they say it's your. Their girlfriend, who's also their cousin. Then he. He finds out that she secretly. Him. Oh. Because the song is. How does the song go? It's like, let me play it it. Dude, we got time. Who gives a. It's only one of the most important records ever. We're talking about my. This is what I'm talking, bro. Give me some fame. I'm gonna tell you right now, y', all, I'm gonna start sending you my songs. Oh, so the song is called they. They definitely say the N word. That's the song. You can tell by these people, right? So it's. Hold on. They say it to their girlfriend, who's also their cousin, then he finds out that she secretly. I mean, that's it. That's all I got of that dump. Did you hear the harmonies, bro?

[Jeff Arcuri]

Really good, too. That. That line.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Thank you very much.

[Jeff Arcuri]

You know.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Thank you. No, it's. But that's the thing. It's like, you. It's. It's the. The group collaboration. I don't know why the. Was I talking about that? For some reason.

[Jeff Arcuri]

Live streaming.

[Josh Adam Myers]

No. What was before that, though? Sorry, dude.

[Jeff Arcuri]

Noise in the. You being.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Oh.

[Podcast Narration/Chorus]

Oh.

[Josh Adam Myers]

The audience. The audience. It's important. The changing of the audience. You know what I mean? And, like, what you. You know, the whole. I remember talking to Andrew Schultz when. When I started doing this podcast, and at that time, they had. He really built out the Patreon with. With his podcast with flagrant. And I remember, you know, I wrote to. Stefano was the one that was talking to me about him, and he was like, dude. He's like, Schultze is a guy, dude. He built this whole community. And I asked him at, like, Moon Tower about building the community.

[Podcast Narration/Chorus]

Community.

[Josh Adam Myers]

And being a part of it. And it's like when you build that community, they feel like they're a part of something and, and audiences want that, you know, they want to feel. That's why I see it on your Reddit. You were active on that or it's like on your social media, you know, when they find out that you make your clips, they find out you dude, you, you give a, about your audience, you know, Hence why it's like I don't just want to go do a theater tour right now, even though I can. It's like, let me work on some material, then do the theater tour, you know, and go ahead. Do you have something to say? It feels like you.

[Jeff Arcuri]

No, I, I, I, I'm trying to find the balance just because like I do, I appreciate the audience so, so, so much. But I also need to like, because I'm, I'm getting everything from online. That's why I also can't reply to everybody. I can't, you know, have conversations with friends and not be on my phone and whatever. So like I'm finding that balance now. But it is so important for me to like connect with them for sure.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah. So, so what this record did because we couldn't go through all the songs, you know, obviously, but this record basically, like we said, it took time for it to blow up, but once it did, this is their first true masterpiece. You know, it takes. Every legendary band has that record and this is their record. Where The Beatles had Sgt. Pepper, the Beatles were lucky enough to have like two Sgt. Pepper, Abbey Road, Pink Floyd as Dark side of the Moon and then eventually on the Wall. Nirvana just has one. That's amazing. Never mind. And for the who is Tommy. It sold millions of records. Certified multi platinum in the United States, reached number two in the uk which is shocking. I would have figured that would have gone to number one, reach number four in the U.S. it stayed on the charts for, for months, became their biggest selling album at that point. And that's pretty big for a two record concept record about an unusual story. Those kind of numbers are crazy. Critics couldn't stop talking about it. And I think that is something that you, I know you want. You know what I mean? Not just critics, but I mean you want. It's like Stone Temple Pilots, one of my favorite bands in one year. When that first record came out, they were. The fans voted them best band and critics voted them worst band. So there's that, there's that. It's. You want success or do you want respect? And to get both is something hard. And I know that's what you strive for, and I think you. I think you were able to really do that in this special man. So I really am proud of you, and I know how much that meant to you, because that's. You are. You know, you. Like I said. I've said it a million times in the pod.

[Jeff Arcuri]

You are.

[Josh Adam Myers]

You love comedy, and that's important to you. And for some. A band like the who, you know, to have newspapers, you know, covering it and. And critics loving it and debating it, something that. That people can talk about. Then theater critics now are discussing it, and classical music critics are discussing it, which is something that never happened in 69. And this is what I wanted to bring it to, because I thought it was really, really cool. Is because when we did quadrophenia, which. To give you. Let me give you something really cool. The person that did Quadrophenia, Judd Apatow. So the fact that you're on is really. You know what I mean? Pretty good. You're up there. It's you and Judd doing our who. I think it's you. And I forget the other who person was. It was somebody big, too. But this became a live event where. Where the audiences aren't dressing up in this, like, hippie 69 gear. Like, dude, they're. These are rock. Rock fans going to like. It was almost like when they remember that movie Deep Throat, that porno from the 70s that made, like, possibly, like, billions of dollars. It was like, you know about. Yeah, everybody knows about it. Everybody. Wait, we'll cut this. We'll cut this. We'll cut this. We'll keep your. We'll keep your. Your character. And everybody's like. He's like, I've never wanted one. Now, truth be told, it's. It was like, people would go to that movie, like regular, like, moms and dads. They're like, oh, we're going to a porno tonight.

[Podcast Narration/Chorus]

Point.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Rock fans are now like, oh, we're going to see a rock opera. And they're getting dressed up for this. You know, they went to see it performed. Not just like, you know, like, it's just like a band just going out there and rocking, you know, the who would basically play the entire album. It became a full experience, not just a concert. Woodstock blows it up because they perform Tommy at Woodstock, which is crazy.

[Podcast Narration/Chorus]

And.

[Josh Adam Myers]

And it changed rock music overnight. Yeah. Before Tommy, albums, concept albums were rare. And after Tommy, everybody wanted to do one. Everybody. Which is cool, you know, And I think that I think, you know, throwback to you is like, you know, like we said we saw Schultz throw up those clips and start doing. Putting stand up, up. Dude, that was something that was so forbidden. Oh, you're gonna put your up before it's on a special. Like that is what's cool about the era that we live in now. And I think when I said it to my friend Rachel earlier today, but. And I don't know if I said it to you, but it's like one of those jfl, not State of the Union, but like they're the keynote speech. I remember two of them. I remember back to back years was Mark Marin, who I love, you know, and we've had our battles, you know, and I've talked about the podcast. He's been on the podcast. We've talked about it. But I have so much respect for him because he. He started watching what the. Out of desperation. But also like, I mean, it's not even like this has gotta work or I'm. I'm nothing. It's just like I don't know what to do anymore. So I'm gonna do this thing. And. And he does it. And nobody was doing that at the time. And look what it did. Changed his life. And. And I think the next year he goes up there and tells that story at the keynote. And then the next year you can hear all this or read it. Those videos exist. And then, you know, Patton Oswald goes up the next year and in front of all the executives in Hollywood and says, you are going to be obsolete soon. Like, we don't need you. You think we do. And right now we do. But I'm telling you, it's gonna come to an end. And that is what's cool about something like Kill Tony, which really, you know, like, dude, you can launch off of that. You know, it Cam. I can name a shitload of people, you know, some very deserving, some. Hey, they still need to work. They've been doing comedy four years, but they got a couple jokes. You know, you. You know who was working. And it's like, dude, if you don't post those clips, like, who knows?

[Jeff Arcuri]

Yeah.

[Josh Adam Myers]

What is gonna happen? When was the moment it. You knew it turned? Was it Because I feel like for you it might have been on the first clip.

[Jeff Arcuri]

I remember the first time my clip went past my following, you know, I had like 3, 000 followers or something. And I remember when the likes exceeded that, that and I was like, I woke up to. Not woke up. I posted it and then I think Within a few hours, I was getting like at the time, because my following is so low.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Every notification would come in and you probably knowing you. Wait, knowing you, you. You don't ever put your phone on do not disturb. So it's just like.

[Jeff Arcuri]

It just went bananas. And that's when. Once you get to, like, I think a decimal point, it now clumps your notifications together. But if it's not and you only have eight friends on your thing, they're gonna let you know. Mikey and Sarah liked it, you know, so it thing where I was getting. And I was like, holy. I remember that moment of, like, the first time feeling online validation for the comedy, which was very. But this is probably the first time I felt fully confident in myself as a comedian, because I have my actual, like, an hour of my set out there that nobody can say, boo. He's crowd work. He's just a crowd comic. I'd be like, okay, cool. We'll go check out 53 minutes straight of, like, just stand up. And then eight minutes of crowd work. Look at that. It's out there now, you know, So I. I just feel a lot of relief, man. I feel a lot of relief and a lot of, you know, contentment.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah, you should. You should feel it, and you should feel good about yourself. And you've. You've kept your, you know, you, you, you. I say this, man, you have no ego, and you have every right. There are people that are so far below you, not just in success, but in talent that. That have such a bigger ego that do not deserve to have that. And you're like, and then I meet someone like you and. And. And some of the other guys that, you know that have worked their ass off and to get to a certain place, you know, even. It's so cool. You see Burgit off stage, and I'll be like, great job. He'd be like, really was good. And I'm like, like, dude, you're Bill. Like, do you know what I mean? That makes you feel good as a performer to know, yeah, somebody up there is like that. And they still, you know, And I think that's what makes somebody truly great. Also, I love that you do what you do with your clips at the beginning to, like, make sure this is the one to pick. That's what Barry Gordy of Motown did. He had, like, a collection of people that he would get together, all of his other executives, and he would. He would play the songs that his artists were recording, and they say, is this a hit? Is this gonna Be it. And they would vote on it. And if they didn't get enough votes, it would get tossed to the side. And I have. And I have mine with my songs. Like, I have the people. I have, like, eight people. I can start sending them to you, bro, if you want to be in the thing. I mean, they're great. I mean, listen, I. Because that's the thing is, like, you'll know. And it's like, I. Listen you. You always will think this is good. And then people like, yeah, but this one is the one. But what about this? And they're like, but this guy. And it's like. And sometimes I'm right. And sometimes. Most of the time, if the. If the majority votes on it, you're like, well, that's what the public's gonna get, you know? And I think that most. If it's five people over one person, it's rare that. That that kind of, like, happens where you're like, oh, no. They were. They were. They were wrong. And those. Those eight, nine people were wrong. And these. I'm. And I was. I mean, dude, I posted a clip today that I was like, this is gonna go. And it's done. Nothing.

[Jeff Arcuri]

Yeah.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Is that black guy spraying the cologne? And, like, he's grabbing it, putting on his beard. Have you seen that? We're getting a far different algorithm. Probably

[Jeff Arcuri]

mine is. Dude, I've been getting a lot of German videos. I don't know why.

[Josh Adam Myers]

German. What?

[Jeff Arcuri]

Just a lot of, like. A lot of, like, a dog. I don't know why. I think it's. I've ran out of all the American dog videos, so now they're sending me to Germany and Austria and, like, I don't know. Try this language. Now.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Just look at this. We've shown you everything. There's. But there's can never. That's what I'm telling you. My dog song's gonna go.

[Jeff Arcuri]

Yeah.

[Josh Adam Myers]

All right, let me. Let's wrap this up. Let's get you out of here. Just to put a button on this, everybody, like I said, this. This album went on to inspire the Wall, Physical Graffiti, Exile on Main street, songs in the key of Life, countless other records, and a million rock stars that we know and love have. Have been influenced by this. We mentioned, you know, Pearl Jam earlier, Billy Corgan, David Bowie. I mean, Bruce Springsteen, Elton John, Iron Maiden. It doesn't Rush. It's. This isn't a. This isn't an album that just is like, you know, rock fans.

[Jeff Arcuri]

This is.

[Josh Adam Myers]

This is something they. The more experimental sometimes the Better. And I think the craziest thing, dude, is just that this is not. You know, we talked about what the concept of this record is. It's.

[Podcast Narration/Chorus]

It's.

[Josh Adam Myers]

It's. It does. It's. It's a hard sell. But I think when you have talented people behind it and you let the artist be the artist and let Pete cook the stew, you're gonna get some cool out of it. And we already know what they want them to do with the rest of their career. They're still touring. If you get a chance, go see him. I. I remember I was gonna go, and then something happened, and Baba bib. So whatever. Promote away. Before we do final questions. What do you got going on? I know you've got. You got the special on Netflix. Tell us about it.

[Jeff Arcuri]

Yeah, just. Just check out the special on Netflix. And then, you know, tor dates. Jeffrey. Kira.com, man. That's good. That's good enough.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Okay, we asked everybody these questions. What's your favorite song on this record?

[Jeff Arcuri]

Pinball Wizard.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Okay. Is there anything you skip over?

[Jeff Arcuri]

No, I couldn't think of it. Couldn't think.

[Josh Adam Myers]

There's a couple things I skipped over. I'm not gonna say what they are, though.

[Jeff Arcuri]

Okay.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Can you. To this rat record? No.

[Jeff Arcuri]

Unless it's a guy.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Why'd you say it like that? It's great. It's great. It's great. It's great. Keep that. That's our clip, by the way. We're putting. That's our clip. We're gonna. We're gonna collab with you on it.

[Podcast Narration/Chorus]

You'll love it.

[Josh Adam Myers]

And then what would, like, final thoughts? How do you get someone to. To listen to this record that might never heard it before?

[Jeff Arcuri]

I would say, you know, give art a chance. Give something. Seeing an artist do something outside of their normal. Good. Yeah.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Let me see if I can find mine. I wrote it down earlier. All right, here we go. What do we have going on? My final thoughts on this record? Oh, here is. So I. I think what. What people should listen is this record is like, this isn't something that's just remembered because it's weird, you know, And. And I think there's plenty of records that we've done on this podcast that have been weird. I think it's remembered because of an artist taking a chance, and I think that's why the people should listen to it. Whether you're in. You know, you're a truck driver. You've got a. You. You're an artistic driver. You know what I mean? Whatever it is, if you make. If you make clay pots and you're having a weird idea that you're like, I think about doing this, the whole, like, thing is that if you don't try and fail, you know, if you don't at least try. Even if you try and fail, you at least tried, you know, And I think when it comes to art, like, the biggest creative swings, you know, usually usually work, work. And I think when in rock music, it's like, it's for everything we've learned. It's like they usually do connect. And I think this record is. Is. It might not. It might be different than what you might be expecting out of a band, but, you know, I think what's cool about music is in rock and roll in particular, is it doesn't have to be just one concrete thing. It could be so many things. And we're talking about this record 50 years later, and now it's not even. It's not even a album anymore. It's like a museum piece. And I think that that's. That answers the easy question, which is like, you know, what great art can do, and it entertains you first, but then it says, you know, kind of stays with you a little bit longer and. And, you know, until you're dead and. And hopefully you've got a couple good songs out of it and maybe you to it. Who knows? I mean, it's. The world is your oyster. Just like you, Jeff, the world is yours. At the Best Western off of Frankenheim. I love you, buddy. I'm so happy you got to come in. I'm so proud of you, man.

[Podcast Narration/Chorus]

You.

[Josh Adam Myers]

You killed the special. You are. Like I said before, dude, you're one of the coolest dudes. And every intro I've given you is 100 true. You're one of the sweetest human beings I ever met and super talented and very funny. So you deserve everything. Dude, when are you gonna be back in la? Not la, I'm sorry, in New York, Austin this weekend.

[Jeff Arcuri]

I'll be back in York next week.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Are you doing Kill Tony?

[Jeff Arcuri]

Yeah.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah, dude.

[Jeff Arcuri]

That'll be fun. It'll be fun.

[Josh Adam Myers]

It's the final countdown.

[Jeff Arcuri]

Finally. I'm making my right wing turn right when I don't need to, you know, like. No, dude, I. I'm. I'm on the side of comedy. I'm gonna go because I like the show. I'm not gonna go there because I want to say that word, you know, Jeff, you.

[Josh Adam Myers]

You don't need it. And that's cool that you're even doing it. You're doing it because you're a comic you and you want to hang with other comics and that's cool. Give great advice, be a sweet guy. You know what I mean? That's all you got to do, dude. Have the best time ever, dude. Thank you so much for coming on brother.

[Jeff Arcuri]

Thank you man. See you guys.

[Josh Adam Myers]

What I'd tell you. What did I tell you? The one and only Jeff ar Cury. His website jeffrcuri.com go on Instagram and all social media JR Cury and check out nice to meet you his brand new comedy special. It debuted globally in the top 10. It totally deserves it. He's one of the the fastest and most rapid fire whitles. He's. He's got whimsy. I mean he's just one of the funniest people that I know and he has got New York comedy festival coming up. The Beacon Theater. Four sold out shows, two sold out performances at the Beacon, four at the Wiltern. I mean those are coming up. He's already done these. Yeah, I did the Wiltern shows with them. We two of them got canceled but. But he's currently on road trip tour. Go see him. His special is great. Support, Support, support jeff ariri.com all right. For new music this peak. This peak and brought to you BB Boot Distro kid Haba baba ba laba. The album is called Baba laba daba no it's late September by Cinnamon Chasers. Links are on the website the500podcast.com and if you were in a band directly influenced by one of these albums and you want your music featured on the 500, send us your song to the 500podcast.com up next. Oh scootly doo it is Miles Davis brew baby and we are getting down on it. We got a guest that's gonna blow your scooters through your doodles. If I was you I wouldn't listen Listen to the other Miles records we've done before you dig into this. Don't make this be the first one that you ever hear. I up on that. Either way you're gonna dig. Dig it. Do your homework. We'll see then.

[Podcast Narration/Chorus]

I wouldn't to the waiting through the night. I still drive through the lights like my life is whatever I can't sleep at night. You're all that I remember. Waiting through the night. I still drive through lights like my life is whatever I can't sleep at night. I remember. In this late September. You're all that I remember. September sam. I still Drive through the lights like my life is whatever I can't sleep at night. We remember. The 500. Keeping it flee for the fleece nation on the five 500 the 500.

[Josh Adam Myers]

In 2008, a woman rang into a BBC radio show and begged them to stop picking on her niece, Amy Winehouse. Amy did not ask to be a teenage icon. Amy just loves to write and sing. We're going deep into the BBC archives to show you a side of Amy Winehouse. I think we sometimes forget we're here for the messy, the brilliant, the human version of our heroes. I'm Emmanuel Joci. I'm Kai Wright. Listen to Big Lives wherever you get your podcasts.

[Holly Brown]

Hey, listener, it's Holly Brown here, host of the hit podcast Everybody Knows But Me. Since my show is about looking at life through the nostalgia of the sitcoms we love loved. What about the movies? The music videos? Well, enter one of my favorite shows, that Aged well. It's hosted by comedians and pop culture superfans Paul and Erica, and it revisits the 80s and 90s media of our youth in the most hilarious way to find out how did the pop culture we love growing up actually age well. Paul and Erica have covered movies like Batman and Robin. Ugh, Iconic, the Never Ending story, and even FernGully. Remember FernGully? I've gotta find out if that aged well. They are guaranteed to help make you feel good about the media you once loved. After all, nostalgia is way more fun with other people. And I would know. So what are you waiting for? Tune into that Aged well wherever you're listening to this. If you want to understand the world today, you need to go back to the 90s. From the Internet boom to the rise of reality TV, the 1990s changed the way we live. I'm Kathy Kinzora. On my podcast history of the 90s, I go inside the stories, events and trends that defined a decade from the fall of communism to the rise of grunge. If it happened in the 90s, you'll hear about it on History of the 90s wherever you stream audio.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Next chapter, podcasts.