Podcast Summary: The Commercial Break – TCB Infomercial: Dusty Slay
Release Date: August 19, 2025
Featuring: Brian Green, Kristen Joy Hoadley, and guest Dusty Slay

Episode Overview

This episode of The Commercial Break is part of their “TCB Infomercial” Tuesday series, with hosts Brian Green and Krissy Hoadley welcoming acclaimed Nashville comic Dusty Slay. The conversation covers Dusty’s rapid rise in comedy, his process for building new hours of material, his love for classical music, working “clean,” and the Nashville comedy boom. There’s a relaxed, playful tone throughout, with the hosts riffing on Southern culture, craft, and running through a rapid-fire game round.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Dusty’s Comedy Output & Process

• Releasing Two Specials in 18 Months
  Dusty’s two Netflix specials (Working Man and Wet Heat) both hit the platform within a year and a half—a remarkable pace for a comic.
  Quote:

  “Some of these jokes I’m tired of telling and I’d like to get them recorded so… If it’s not recorded, then it just kind of goes into this abyss.” —Dusty Slay [14:31]

• How the Creative Flow Works
  Dusty explains that when he’s “in the zone,” he can’t stop generating material. He intentionally peppers new jokes into his act while touring, so by the time a special drops, he’s ready with fresh material.
  Quote:

  “The more you create stuff, the more you want to create stuff, the more you feel the flow, the more you're in with it.” —Dusty Slay [15:58]

• Organic Joke Development
  Rather than sitting to “write,” his bits simmer up from daily life, become tested on stage, and get refined by what works with audiences.

  "If I just have an idea and I take it to the stage, mess around with it a little bit, you know, if it doesn't work, we wave, we say we're having a good time, and you move on... Then that way I get to go through those natural instincts of just being a funny person in life.” —Dusty [18:23]

• Joke Structure & Tagging
  He likes “triangle jokes”—build up, hit, then keep wringing out laughs:

  "Where I like the laugh, we go up, up, up, then we hit a funny part, and then I'm still telling the joke, even though it's getting less funny and less funny ... I'm like, this is the punchline. But then I want to add on all these tags..." —Dusty [19:59]

2. The Craft of “Clean” Comedy and Nashville’s Comedy Scene

• Being a "Clean Comic" and Why

  • Dusty clarifies that, for him, working clean isn’t about being family entertainment, but about accessibility and authenticity. He wants people to comfortably bring a parent or older relative, but he’s not “kids’ comedy.”
  • If he does touch on edgier material, it’s by innuendo, not shock.
    Quote:

  “I want you to be able to bring your aunt or your mom or your dad to the show and you not be embarrassed that you brought them... And if I am making, you know, sex jokes, I try to do it in the cleanest possible way.” —Dusty [37:32]

• The Edge Within the Safe Zone

  • A key technique: once an audience trusts he won’t cross their lines, he can take them “to the edge” and it feels naughty, without ever alienating them. Quote:

  “If you establish some sort of line ... then you can kind of inch up to the line and it feels edgy. Even if it's not really that edgy.” —Dusty [39:10]

• Origin of Clean Shows

  • Dusty points out his own monthly Zanies showcase in Nashville has always been “within reason” clean—not sterilized, just not gross-for-gross’s sake, in contrast to some “wild” open mics. Nate Bargatze’s showcases share this ethic.

  “There's clean and then everything else in the world – I think there's a little space in between.” —Dusty [36:22]

3. Nashville: The New Comedy Hotspot

• Nashville’s Rise, and Dusty’s Influence
  • The hosts note that Dusty, Nate Bargatze, and their circle “took comedians under their wing” and helped turn Nashville into a comedy hotbed.
  • Dusty attributes the boom to quality rooms like Zanies, regular showcases he and Nate run, and the migration of LA/NY comics during the COVID years.

  “I think when I moved there ... Zanies was great. We had a pretty good open mic scene ... When COVID hit ... a lot of LA people, a lot of New York people moved to Nashville. Some left, some are still there ... Now Nate has a weekly showcase.” —Dusty [34:56]

  • His Zanies show has been running since 2015, consciously giving a platform to up-and-comers.

4. On Performing in Different Venues

• Symphony Halls, Theaters, the Benefits of Intimacy
  • Dusty recently performed at Atlanta’s Symphony Hall (23:02), admits it feels surreal to do comedy in such spaces.
  • He loves classical music for relaxation and creativity stimulation—something he picked up “to class it up” growing up in a trailer park in Alabama.
    Quote:

  “Not to be cliche about it, but I do think I like all music. ... Classical is just nice music to have on. I like cello classical music specifically, because it's the most relaxing music in the world.” —Dusty [25:24]

• Why Not Chase Arenas (Even If It Pays)
  • He’s played for 18,000 in the round with Nate Bargatze, but prefers the feel of old theaters (2,000 seats or less), where “magic happens” and there’s more artist/audience connection.

  “I mean, that show [arena] was fun, but I don’t know, I’m not really into that … I really like the art of comedy. What I want is to be able to look back and have a bunch of albums that are really funny.” —Dusty [52:55]

5. Comic Camaraderie & Career Perspective

• The Influence of Nate Bargatze
  • Dusty sees Nate as “a couple years ahead” — noting that when Nate hits a career milestone, Dusty might follow, but there’s no rivalry.
  • He doesn’t aspire to megastardom for its own sake:

  “I just want to be able to keep doing that, have albums that are good, and just tons of comedy that people can watch. And yeah, I want to make money, too. But I don't want to lose touch.” —Dusty [55:47]

6. Fun & Memorable Moments

Rapid Fire Southern Culture “Yes/No” Game [42:26+]

Fun, lighthearted Southern “lightning round”—Dusty honest, charming, and quick-witted:

• Waffle House at 2am:
  “2pm, it makes no difference. Anytime.” [42:47]
• Free motel breakfast worth waking up for:
  “No. I go down to the breakfast sometimes and I just walk through.” [43:19]
• Fishing to avoid mowing the lawn:
  “No. I love mowing the lawn. ... I like a riding mower with no headphones. Just listening to the engine.” [43:49]
• Duct tape as legitimate home repair:
  “Yeah, absolutely. … I’ve been trying to feed crows. ... I couldn’t figure out how to connect [the PVC base], so I stuck a stick inside, put the pipe over, then duct-taped it and painted it. Works great.” [44:38]
• Boiled peanuts in the car:
  “Oh, absolutely. I love boiled peanuts anyway. In the car is fine. ... I prefer hot. Can do cold.” [45:31]

Hotel Life, Money, and Not Getting “Too Big”

“Here’s a secret about when you get into theaters, you book your own hotels ... I get kind of cheap with hotels ... I like a Marriott, you know, a Hilton. I'm good with the Hilton Garden Inn.” —Dusty [49:58]

7. Musings on Comedy, Craft, and Success

• Comedy is a living thing—bit by bit, refined by audience and constant stage time.
• Clean isn’t “for kids”; it’s for maximizing accessibility and true to his voice.
• Fame and money aren’t the ultimate prize: a strong creative legacy and real-world connection matter more.

8. Notable Quotes & Highlights with Timestamps

• "It feels like ... I like a joke starts. It's a ton of words, very long, and then you're just telling it, and you're trying to find those funny parts." —Dusty [19:32]
• “If you establish some sort of line, like where, where the audience kind of feels like you'll never cross this line, then you can kind of inch up to the line and it feels edgy.” —Dusty [39:10]
• “Comedy in some ways is a noble profession. I really do.” —Brian [20:30]
• “I want you to be able to bring your aunt or your mom or your dad to the show and you not be embarrassed that you brought them.” —Dusty [37:32]
• “Sometimes you don't know what to expect when a stranger comes on … and Dusty was one of those people ... I didn’t know what to expect and I left this interview really … the vibe was high with Dusty Slay.” —Brian [08:01]

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |--------------|----------------------------------------------| | 14:12 | Dusty Slay joins the interview | | 14:22-18:23 | Specials, creative flow, writing process | | 19:32-21:00 | Joke structure, tagging, performance tips | | 22:17-26:38 | Performing in theaters, classical music | | 34:56-37:00 | Nashville comedy scene growth | | 37:14-40:29 | Working clean, authenticity, edge | | 42:26-47:06 | Southern “Yes/No” lightning game | | 49:58-53:12 | Touring, hotels, financial comfort | | 52:55-55:47 | Perspective on fame, career, satisfaction | | 56:35-57:30 | On validation, perspective, classical music |

Memorable Moments & Running Jokes

• Callback Gags: Dusty’s reference to classical music for mental health and stress, tying back to hosts’ earlier classical music discussion.
• Joking about Merchandise ("Piggy Fronting T-shirt") and the emotional connection fans have with silly merch.
• Story about changing how often he says “y’all” after waiting tables in Charleston. [46:18]
• Dusty’s crow-feeding project with DIY duct tape engineering. [44:52]

Final Thoughts

The episode showcases Dusty Slay’s insightful, self-aware approach to comedy craft and work-life satisfaction. His comedic voice—rooted in authenticity rather than shock—bridges “clean” and relatable humor, while the chemistry with the hosts makes for a naturally funny, fast-paced listen. If you’re a fan of behind-the-scenes process, honest talk about comedy as a career, or just a good Southern banter, the episode is a standout.

Links & Further Information

• dustyslay.com — current tour dates, podcast, and more
• Netflix specials: "Working Man" and "Wet Heat"
• Podcasts: “NateLand” with Nate Bargatze, and Dusty’s with his wife

[This summary skips ads, intros/outros, and unrelated promo sections as requested.]