The Bonfire with Big Jay Oakerson and Robert Kelly

Episode: Waiting For Ari with Dan Soder
Date: April 1, 2026
Guest: Dan Soder (with Ari Shafir joining mid-episode)
Location: SiriusXM’s Faction Talk, NYC

Episode Overview

The Bonfire brings together comics Big Jay Oakerson and Robert Kelly with returning favorite Dan Soder for a riotous, inside-baseball episode that celebrates brutal self-roasting, comedy history, and the camaraderie/competition among stand-up comics. Ostensibly waiting for Ari Shafir to join, the trio kill time by riffing about awkward early stand-up sets, embarrassing old videos, comedy influences, and legendary bombing stories. The episode is highlighted by their collective deep dive into Jay’s very first set at a black comedy club in the late 1990s—a moment of both cringeworthy nostalgia and hard-earned comedic insight.

Key Discussion Points & Segments

1. “Ass-Shaking” Footloose Dance-Off (01:33–09:44)

• Opening Bit: Jay, Bobby, and Soder start by hilariously reenacting the famous “Footloose” dance scene—each trying to outdo the others’ “ass shake.” They tease and nitpick each other’s moves with everyone on the in-studio crew eventually pressured to join in.

  • Notable Quotes:
    • Jay: “I'm gonna show you what she did. Give me a taste, Bobby. Can you do it?” (02:20)
    • Dan: “I became her. I became she.” (03:41)
    • Robert: “You became her. He became she.” (03:42)

• Extended riff on dance technique: The crew playfully analyzes “who nailed the move.” There's friendly trash-talk, joking about motivation, and delight in the physical spectacle.

  • Soder: “Your butt's arriving. But much like Ari Shafir, your butt's arriving late.” (08:33)

2. Gas Digital Retreat & Legendary Snoring (09:44–12:23)

• Stories from a comedians’ vacation: The guys recount a Gas Digital retreat where violent snoring drove one comic (Mike) to sleep outdoors.
  • Robert: “He would do the horror movie snore where it would stop and you go, it's over. He died. And then, oh yeah, that's exactly...” (11:23)
  • Jay: “It’s the Jason Voorhees…he’s opening his eyes at the end.” (11:28)
• Friday the 13th digression: Comparing snoring to horror movie reveals, riffing on illogical horror tropes.

3. Mockery of Comedic Personas & Cringeworthy Comedy Music (12:23–24:16)

• Transition to the main theme: Discussion shifts to reviewing old sets and cringing about former comedy personas—"Hollywood Bob," Dane Cook music, and cringe-cameo moments.

  • Soder: “You guys never knew Hollywood Bob?” (20:28)
  • Robert: “You did it. And then Dane Cook goes, I’ve got a whole pocket full of these.” (20:42)

• Pat McAfee ‘Dookie’ Song Review: The hosts roast Pat McAfee’s attempt at music, drawing a parallel to comics trying to expand into other art forms.

  • Jay: “Whoever let him record that should be shot in the head, execution style.” (22:12)

4. Setting the Stage: Reviewing Jay’s Earliest Stand-Up (24:16–37:44)

• Context: Jay sets up the infamous first set video—early in his career, at the all-black Laugh House in Philadelphia (circa 1997–1998), filmed by his supportive friend Jamie.
  • Jay: “I must have played at least a few more other black shows… From what I say, it’s not my first time, but it’s early. My tone and everything.” (26:21)
• Speculation on wardrobe: Comics obsess over Jay’s look—Silver chain, big and tall urbanwear, inside-out shirt?—and what it means for “stage persona.”
  • Robert: “Can I tell you right now you’re dressed a lot less urban than I thought you would be.” (33:24)
• Analyzing movement and stage swagger: Play-by-play on Jay’s stage entrance—alternately credited as “scientific economy of movement” and “early-days posturing.”
  • Robert: “At this point, I would tell you it’s downright scientific.” (34:26)

5. Watching and Roasting the Tape (37:44–57:52)

• Breakdown of Jay’s Opening: They screen Jay’s first lines—awkward acknowledgement of the black audience, transparently seeking acceptance, and giving a “speech” about belonging.

  • Jay’s actual opener: “This is primarily an all black club. I play usually all black clubs. I’m used to it. I don’t try to win you guys, I’m sorry.” (37:47)
  • Robert: “This is fantastic. I’m lost in awe of your Save the Last Dance comedy set.” (40:18)

• Unpacking New Comic Mistakes:

  • Too many crowd greetings (“How’s everyone doing?”), oversharing nerves, trying to telegraph that he’s not pandering by mentioning what he won't do (e.g., talk about rap).
  • Jay: “I start informing them that I’m white. It’s okay.” (48:56)

• Reminiscing on friend support: Jay’s supportive white-girl friend Jamie is heard on tape cheering him on.

  • Dan: “If you buy a Jay action figure, it comes with a supportive white girl.” (42:26)

• The agony of having “rookie tape” resurface: The hosts compare the 90s (when embarrassing sets could stay buried) with the Instagram age where comics’ earliest work lives online.

  • Robert: “This was found when…I don’t know, your friend’s going through a divorce or an attic fire, but they found it...Versus a lot of people that start now, their open mic is on Instagram within six hours.” (42:00)

6. Comics’ On-Stage Improv and "The DVM Way" (47:49–49:55)

• Discussion of a stand-up prompt night at The Comedy Cellar: Bobby describes getting prompts like “dicks,” “bloodletting,” and “nicknames,” and embracing absurdity rather than the expected punchlines.
  • Jay: “He hypnotized me:...he goes, ‘Yeah, I hate dicks...wait, do you guys think I’m talking about penis? No, no, no...I mean dicks, like guys that are assholes.’” (47:49)
  • Dan: “When I was younger, I loved dicks. I was a dick. You understand? I love mean people. But now I hate dicks. Oh, I have serenity.” (48:36)

7. Ari Shafir Arrives / Final Breakdown (50:00–58:00)

• Ari Joins: Ari Shafir enters, gets updated on Jay’s set, and cueing up to experience the cringe with the group.
  • Robert: “He looks like they caught the Unabomber’s assistant.” (50:27)
• Meta-Commentary: Jay notes he doesn’t see why anyone let him keep doing comedy after seeing his early work, emphasizing the growth and pain all comics face.
  • Jay: “I don’t see what anyone saw to let me continue past this point.” (53:01)
  • Group marvels at the endurance and delusion required in early stand-up careers.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Nostalgia and Embarrassment:

  • Jay: “If I was watching a new comic now, I mean, I guess if they said he was, like, under a year in, sure…But even under a year in, everything about it is weird.” (41:38)

• On Comedy Growth:

  • Dan: “That’s a meme. That’s a brain picture.” (47:48)
  • Robert: “This is why I feel bad for comics starting now—because they have to put this out…the open mic is on Instagram within six hours.” (42:00)

• On the Unrelenting Roasting:

  • Robert to Jay (about beard): "Clearly doesn’t connect. It’s like a bridge that went out.” (57:04)
  • Jay (mocking himself): “My beard didn’t connect to my mustache till four years ago.” (57:10)

Important Timestamps

• Ass-Shaking “Footloose” Dance-Off: 01:33–09:44
• Comic Retreat & Snoring Horror: 09:44–12:23
• Comedy Persona Discussion/Mocking Dane Cook & Pat McAfee: 12:23–24:16
• Prepping for the Old Set / Jay's Context & Wardrobe: 24:16–37:44
• Jay’s Early Set Breakdown / Tape Roasting: 37:44–57:52
• Ari Joins, More Breakdown: 50:00–58:00

Tone and Language

• Style: Unfiltered, relentless, yet affectionate “ball busting” typical of comics with deep history.
• Self-Deprecation: The hosts are merciless with themselves and each other, finding humor in their failures and awkward beginnings.
• Deep Inside Jokes: Frequent references to comedy subculture, past bits, recurring characters, and crew members.
• Meta-humor: The episode is as much about the experience of becoming a comedian as it is about the specifics of Jay's first set.

Summary for Listeners

This episode is a perfect encapsulation of The Bonfire’s appeal: hilarious, unsparing, and deeply inside the world of stand-up comedy. Through playful competition, stories of humiliation, and a shared celebration of “how far we’ve come,” Jay, Bobby, Dan (and eventually Ari) take listeners on a tour of old wounds, big laughs, and the tender realities behind the myth of the comic. The heart of the show—screening and dissecting Jay’s embarrassing rookie tape—becomes both a group therapy session and a masterclass in both humility and resilience. For comedy fans and working comics alike, it’s a hilarious ode to bombing, growth, and the joy of roasting your friends and yourself.