TCB Infomercial: Phil Hanley

Summary

The Commercial Break — TCB Infomercial: Phil Hanley

Date: July 22, 2025
Hosts: Bryan Green & Krissy Hoadley
Guest: Phil Hanley, stand-up comedian & author

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Episode Overview

This episode of The Commercial Break welcomes acclaimed stand-up comic and crowd work master Phil Hanley for a "TCB Infomercial" chat. Phil—an outspoken Deadhead, advocate for dyslexia awareness, and author of Spellbound: My Life as a Dyslexic Wordsmith—discusses his journey through comedy, the impact of neurodiversity on his life and art, and his lifelong passion for the Grateful Dead. The conversation moves fluidly from growing up dyslexic to the mechanics of crowd work, the evolution of the stand-up business, music's transformative power, and the importance of self-esteem for neurodiverse kids. True to TCB’s tone, the episode balances insight with irreverent, offbeat camaraderie.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Phil's Dyslexic Journey and Advocacy

• Early Life & School Struggles
  • Phil recounts excelling socially and creatively as a child but struggling academically from first grade, describing the shift as “like a Dickens play where it was like Oliver, was so dark.” (09:40)
  • Teachers misjudged his potential: “They called me stupid and they were really discouraging. And I was blessed with the parents that I have and my mom would kind of go in and advocate and get me through the school.” (10:15)
• Strengths of Dyslexic Kids
  • Phil highlights how dyslexia has shaped his life positively, driving creativity, social intelligence, and grit: “We have the grit of someone that’s been through like three divorces, and we’re not ten yet.” (11:37)
  • On advice to parents: “Just maintain their self-esteem, and...they will excel at whatever they do once they leave school." (11:49)
• The Neuroscience of Dyslexia
  • Struggles with associating symbols and sounds: “I can’t identify a symbol with a sound ... it might as well be in another language.” (08:36)
  • Reads using a different part of the brain; it’s taxing, but breeds new perspectives. (10:40)

Notable Quotes

• “I credit dyslexia with everything positive in my life.” — Phil Hanley (12:45)
• “Dyslexics, we excel in all these areas—just not sitting in a shitty little desk learning some boring ass...thing.” — Phil Hanley (10:38)

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2. Comedy as Coping & Expression

• Comedy as an Outlet
  • Phil credits his stifling school experience for pushing him toward comedy, as an expressive outlet after years of feeling "stifled." (12:45)
  • He notes, “My first set on the Tonight Show—I was just ready to rock and really wanted to express myself and let people know.” (13:37)
• Development of Crowd Work
  • Learned improvisation performing in Vancouver; short joke style didn’t fill required sets, so crowd work became a solution: “I would want something to happen so I could get off my material and go into the crowd for that.” (21:20)

Notable Quotes

• “The part of my act I’ve kind of been working on since I was, like, a kid ... just being a smart ass at a party.” — Phil Hanley (22:43)
• “Crowd work is social media standup. If you’re not doing crowd work, you’re not doing social media standup.” — Chrissy (03:59)

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3. Crowd Work, Social Media and Modern Comedy

• The Art and Rise of Crowd Work
  • Phil acknowledges the popularity of crowd work clips for comics in social media era, and their value in not “burning” material. (18:16)
  • He tours with a videographer, improvises each show, and posts crowd work to keep stage material fresh.
  • Reluctant at first about social media, he's now seen a fanbase expand globally.

Notable Quotes

• “Improvising, part of my love for the Grateful Dead and their influence on me; I want every show to be different each time.” — Phil Hanley (18:19)
• “You need to be consistent [with social media] and really do it right.” — Joy Hoadley (18:59)

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4. Comedic Influences & Journeyman Mentality

• Early Inspirations
  • Grew up on Seinfeld, loved Mitch Hedberg, and admired Zach Galifianakis’ confidence and originality in live sets. (34:28)
  • Local Canadian comics like Brent Butt and Graham Clark were formative influences.
• Journeyman Philosophy
  • Phil relates the Grateful Dead’s evolution to that of comics—embracing the journey, mistakes, and imperfection, leading to artistic growth. (19:48, 40:35)
  • Credits the discipline from pounding out material night after night as vital: “I was just really content writing, and then I finally started...posting online.” (17:55)
• Recognition Among Peers
  • The respect from other comedians matters to him profoundly, even if he remains humble: “If someone said that to my face, I’d get really uncomfortable and change the subject. I’m still very Canadian.” (16:24)

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5. Music, The Grateful Dead, and Live Connection

• Being a Deadhead
  • Lifelong Grateful Dead fan; initially got into the band for misunderstanding of their sound, then found kinship with Bob Weir's dyslexia. (06:33)
  • Sees Dead shows as experiences where time and self dissolve (“I go, I boogie. It’s great. I love it.” (43:36))
  • Attends Dead & Co. tours; values the intergenerational, ever-evolving community (“It’s a celebration of the music...playing infinitum, for sure.” (02:57, 43:17))
• Comparison of Music and Comedy
  • Draws direct lines between improvisational music and stand-up: “Music, comedy, art in general—it’s just a...way that God comes through you.” (49:47–50:16)

Notable Quotes

• “Jerry Garcia was such a gifted person ... I go into it not comparing it. It’s its own thing.” — Phil Hanley (42:49)
• “I'd rather go to the Dead show than church any day of the week ... it is church for a lot of people. It’s just a magical, magical thing.” — Brian Green (50:16)

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6. Comedic Community, Family, and Self-Confidence

• The Importance of Family Support
  • Phil calls his parents—especially his mom, his “greatest straight man”—as foundational to his confidence and humor: “It was really more important to my parents...than my grades was being funny at dinner.” (22:43, 37:55)
  • Weekly conversations with his mom remain meaningful; never bombs with her as an audience. (37:18)
• Building Confidence as a Comic
  • Family environment allowed for unfiltered humor, building the confidence necessary for stand-up: “Where did you get the confidence to be...? It just popped into my head. But obviously that comes from...years of doing that with your family and it being...celebrated.” (39:18–39:45)

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7. Comedy & Social Cohesion

• Comedy as Cultural Glue
  • Touring opens views: “If you just sit in your house and you watch TV...everything seems so divided...When you travel...you might not agree on everything, but you know, a lot more common.” (30:29–31:33)
  • Emphasizes live comedy as an antidote to loneliness and divisiveness: “It feels good to be in the same room laughing with people, to have a common something.” (32:38)

Notable Quotes

• “Comedy breaks down these walls...it can, at times, give an opening...it’s like you open a soft spot to open your mind to another idea.” — Brian Green (31:39)
• “I think people that like my comedy are cool.” — Phil Hanley (33:08)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments with Timestamps

• “I credit dyslexia with everything positive in my life.” — Phil Hanley [12:45]
• “Our brush with someone else who is more wealthy, more famous, and better looking than us. Phil Hanley, all of those things.” — Chrissy [05:14]
• “Just maintain their self-esteem and I guarantee they will excel at whatever they do once they leave school.” — Phil Hanley [11:49]
• “When I started, I loved Seinfeld. I used to watch Seinfeld all the time with my mom.” — Phil Hanley [34:28]
• “Improvising...I want every show to be different each time.” — Phil Hanley [18:19]
• “The timing is so key...like, don’t say it exactly when it pops into your head...it’s no longer funny.” — Phil Hanley [39:01]
• “Music, comedy, art in general—it’s just a...way that God comes through you. I'd rather go to the Dead show than church any day of the week.” — Brian Green [49:47–50:16]
• “If you keep plugging away, you never know, maybe someday you’ll make a living doing it!” — Brian Green (jokingly encouraging Phil) [43:53]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Introduction & Phil's Background: 00:00–05:27
• On Growing Up Dyslexic, School Experiences: 06:33–14:49
• Dyslexia & Comedy: 12:45–17:33
• Rise of Crowd Work & Social Media: 17:42–19:48
• Comparing Comedy Careers to Improvisational Bands: 19:48–22:21
• Family, Upbringing & Self-Confidence: 37:15–39:45
• On the Grateful Dead, Community, & Legacy: 42:33–51:00
• Comedy as Social Unifier: 30:29–33:08

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Overall Tonality & Takeaways

The conversation is warm, irreverent, and deeply human, revealing the real-life roots behind Phil Hanley’s comedy. The hosts both celebrate and poke fun at their own quirks, creating an inclusive, listener-friendly atmosphere, and giving Phil plenty of space to riff, reflect, and share practical encouragement for parents and neurodiverse kids. The love for music—and for live connection—threads through the episode, making for a heartfelt testament to the power of laughter, self-acceptance, and shared experience.

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Quick Links & Calls to Action

• Phil Hanley’s book: Spellbound: My Life as a Dyslexic Wordsmith
• Phil Hanley’s socials, tour schedule: See show notes or philhanley.com
• TCB Podcast Info: tcbpodcast.com

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For Stand-up, Neuroscience, and Jam-Band Lovers Alike—this episode is an energetic, funny, and inspiring listen that captures what makes both comedy and music so vital in today's world.

Transcript

[Phil Hanley]

What do you do, sir? You got great smile. You're so handsome.

[Brian Green]

I'm a forensic analyst.

[Phil Hanley]

A forensic analyst. Okay, cool. I dabble a little bit. I watch the show. Right. How long did you go to college? Four years.

[Chrissy]

Four.

[Phil Hanley]

That's it. I thought you'd have to go back from. You know what I mean? You're like a doctor of the dead, dude.

[Chrissy]

Not that kind of forensic.

[Phil Hanley]

No. What kind of forensics?

[Chrissy]

Audio, video.

[Phil Hanley]

Oh, never mind, dude.

[Chrissy]

All right.

[Phil Hanley]

I thought it was, you know what I mean, audio forensics. Someone's like, this radio's not working. Don't worry, I aced my finals. It's unplugged.

[Chrissy]

On this episode of the commercial break.

[Brian Green]

That's a real hurdle in life. Iq, Imagine. And so what gets you through that when you're young is that I'm sure that that's like a.

[Phil Hanley]

It was like I had the best, like childhood. Kindergarten just killed it. Unbelievable.

[Chrissy]

Kindergarten was your.

[Brian Green]

That's your high water mark.

[Phil Hanley]

We walked out, I peaked and then I arrived in the first grade and yeah, like everyone started reading and I was just like. So like, it was like all of a sudden from like the first grade, it just became like this like Dickens play where it was like Oliver was so dark and didn't. I mean it's like completely. It's like a positive thing to be dyslexic. The next episode of the commercial break starts now. Oh yeah.

[Chrissy]

Cats and kittens, welcome back to the commercial break. I'm Brian Green. This is my dear friend and the.

[Brian Green]

Co host of this show, Chris and Joy Hoadley.

[Chrissy]

Best to you, Chris.

[Joy Hoadley]

Best to you, Brian.

[Chrissy]

Best to you out there in the podcast universe. How the hell are you? Thanks for joining us on a TCP infomercial Tuesday with a personal favorite, stand up comedian, Phil Hanley.

[Joy Hoadley]

Yes, I can't wait to.

[Chrissy]

Very excited about this one. Phil has been around for a long time. He is one of those comics who is noted by other comics as their favorite and I'm interested to ask him about that because when your heroes then denote you as their hero, I wonder what that feels like. It must feel good.

[Joy Hoadley]

Plus he's a Deadhead.

[Chrissy]

Plus he's a Deadhead and we're never going to. We're never going to hate on a Deadhead here. Like an OG Deadhead.

[Brian Green]

Yes.

[Chrissy]

I like a John Mayer fan who then became a Deadhead because John Mayer's in the band. No shade on John Mayer. He plays a wonderful guitar. He's a virtuoso. If you don't mind Kristen, but that's not a real Dead.

[Brian Green]

A real Deadhead is a Jerry Deadhead.

[Chrissy]

Like a Deadhead from way back in the day, or you got turned on to the Grateful Dead in its original format. And I have a feeling the Grateful Dead is going to be one of those bands that iterates and iterates.

[Joy Hoadley]

Oh, I think so. For sure.

[Chrissy]

There's going to be some lineage of the Grateful Dead playing infinitum, for sure. Like the children of the Grateful. The grandchildren of somebody in the Grateful Dead. Somebody's going to continue this on forever and ever. Maybe John Mayer will be that guy. Maybe when the older folks kind of pack it in or pack it up, then John takes it to a new place. Anyway, I'm excited to ask Phil about all of this. He is also an advocate for mental health and specifically dyslexia, which I'd like to talk to him about. Also, he's got a book, it's called Spellbound My Life as a Dyslexic Wordsmith. And so if you want to check that out, please do. I'll put all of the social handles. Also, Phil is going to be somebody you recognize because I think he has made the art of crowd work very popular on social media. He's like one of the original people doing this in the current format that.

[Brian Green]

We'Re all so familiar with.

[Chrissy]

Like, crowd work is social media standup. If you're not doing crowd work, you're not doing social media. Stand up, I guess, is the best way to put it. It's so popular and this gets all the clicks and all the views. I mean, there are certainly stand up comics who put just their stand up comedy out there. But that crowd work, people love it when the crowd gets involved.

[Joy Hoadley]

Oh, yeah. It's kind of part of the show.

[Chrissy]

For a lot of people it is. And Phil is so good at this. It's like he's working a muscle that is bigger than the rest of ours. And I don't want to be specific about which muscle because we can all point that out on Brian. Okay, shut up. Anyway, all of Phil's information down in the show notes below. We're going to talk to Phil about all of it, but first, Chrissy. And unfortunately, we have to do what we always do, which is take a short break. And then through the magic of tele podcasting, Phil Hanley will be right here in this studio on our television, a thousand miles away from some exotic location, calling in just to talk to you and I doesn't make you feel Special.

[Joy Hoadley]

It does.

[Brian Green]

Yeah.

[Joy Hoadley]

It gives me a little pep in the step.

[Chrissy]

It's the only thing I have to look forward to in my life.

[Brian Green]

It's what somebody comes on our TV or brush. Our brush with fame. Yes.

[Chrissy]

Our brush with someone else who is more wealthy, more famous, and better looking than us. Phil Hanley, all of those things.

[Brian Green]

We'll take a break, and we'll be back.

[Rachel]

Okay. You're probably wondering why I, Rachel, have taken over the voice duties at tcb. It's pretty simple. Astrid asked me to shut Brian up, even for a minute. Well, lovely Astrid, your wish is my command. Do you want to help Astrid, too? You know you do. Leave a message for her or me or Chrissy at 212-4333. That's 212-433-3822. You can be on the show, too. Just call and say something, anything. Or text us, and we'll text you right back. Promise. Then head over to tcbpodcast.com and get your free sticker. It's your constitutional right to a sticker, and we must abide. You get the point? Follow us on Instagram at the commercial break and watch all the episodes on [e-mail] thecommercial break. Best to you and Astrid. Especially Astrid.

[Brian Green]

And he's here with us now. Phil is here with us now. Fellow Deadhead and comic extraordinaire. Have you. You obviously have been a Grateful Dead fan for a long time.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah, since I was a kid. Yeah.

[Brian Green]

Who got you into Grateful Dead?

[Phil Hanley]

I had older friends that went to college, and they. They. You know, they kind of got me into, like, all the live shows and stuff. But initially, I was a really heavy. I was really into heavy metal, and I heard of a band called the Grateful Dead, and I was like, oh, these guys have to be so heavy.

[Joy Hoadley]

Yeah. Yeah, that's what I thought, too.

[Phil Hanley]

I was a little disappointed, but I started liking them when I was really, really young. And then I'm extremely dyslexic, and I found out that Bob Weir, the rhythm guitar player, was extremely dyslexic. And, yeah, I was like, you know. Yeah, this is. This is.

[Brian Green]

You found some common ground. Like a hero, somebody you looked up to was. Was essentially dealing with the same struggles you were.

[Phil Hanley]

Absolutely. And doing it with such grace and was just, you know, spectacular. Spectacularly dyslexic. And. Yeah, so it was. It was, you know, really inspiring.

[Brian Green]

Can you tell me, because I am not. I actually suspect that one of my children may have dyslexia, but they're very young and so now's not the time to test them. You know, they don't even really know how to read yet. But I just have some suspicions and I've read online. Can you explain to me? Because I'm just ignorant about it. What, what do you see when you're dyslexic? What do you see when you're trying to read something or you're looking at something?

[Phil Hanley]

It really varies. First off, I can diagnose kids with dyslexia from like a mile away. Oh, really? Yes, if they're, if, if you, if you're a kid or if you're interacting with child and they're really personable. Well, like socially, you know, like chatting with adults and, and very interested, like intelligent, very bright kid.

[Brian Green]

Yeah.

[Phil Hanley]

Yet for some reason they can't, you know, dyslexia really affects organization. And as far as reading goes, it varies. For me. I can't identify a symbol with a sound. So a non dyslexic could see a last name or a street name or a word that you're introduced to and ballpark it and get pretty close. I'm like, no idea. Like, it might as well be in another language.

[Chrissy]

Really.

[Brian Green]

I think you. I think this is why I have some concerns, is because the organization, when they. I'm not going to, I'm not going to out them here on the podcast and they're very young still. But when they look at a piece of paper and you know, we're like doing the ABCs or something like that, the problem is in the organization of it. She won't identify a letter and repeat it again and again. She can't. She doesn't understand those sounds. And so I just have some concerns. And you know, we talked to the teacher and the teacher said, too young. But maybe, you know, too young. That's a real hurdle in life. I can imagine. And so what gets you through that when you're young is that I'm sure that that's like.

[Phil Hanley]

It was like I had the best, like childhood. Kindergarten just killed it. Unbelievable.

[Brian Green]

Kindergarten was your, that's your high water mark.

[Phil Hanley]

We walked out and then I arrived in the first grade and, and yeah, like, everyone started reading and I was just like. So like, it was like all of a sudden from like the first grade, it just became like this like Dickens play where it was like Oliver was so dark and oh man, didn't know now. I mean, it's like completely. It's like a positive thing to be dyslexic. In my mind to my teachers that it's so funny. I think back and I'm like, God, she must have been 80 years old, but she was probably like 31, right?

[Brian Green]

We say this all the time. We say this all the time.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah, but they were, you know, they called me stupid and they were really discouraging. And I was blessed with the parents that I have and my mom would kind of go in and advocate and get me through the school. But dyslexics, we excel in all these areas. Just not sitting in a shitty little desk learning some boring ass. You know what I mean?

[Joy Hoadley]

Yeah.

[Phil Hanley]

Appreciate or whatever word they're like. But everything else, you know, we excel creatively. We think. They say dyslexics think 3D, but reading is just not. I force myself to read. But when a dyslexic reads, we actually use a different part of our brain. It's really taxing and, but very interesting.

[Joy Hoadley]

I'm so glad there's more awareness.

[Brian Green]

Yeah, there's that. There's a lot more awareness and that is treated. Listen, everybody's got something. We're not all. We're not all cookie cutter.

[Phil Hanley]

Totally. Yeah. It's because. And people always say they're like, oh, well, now everyone's ADHD and everyone's dyslexic and everyone on the spectrum, it's like, yeah, because we're not as ignorant and we're educated and we can recognize that different people have different challenges. But every challenge kind of is also something else that will excel in. And so my like life's mission is to talk to parents from particularly just like parents of a dyslexic kid. But anyone in the neurodiversity world and I'm like, just maintain their self esteem and, and I guarantee they will excel at whatever they do once they leave school. Because we're nine and we have the grit of someone that's been through like three divorces, like, and we're not ten yet. Yeah, we're tenacious and determined and have all the skills that you really want to instill in a kid. They're just inevitably going to happen when you have a dyslexic child because it's.

[Brian Green]

Like a, it's like a blind person who all of a sudden has this amazing hearing or ability to read music or someone who's autistic who, you know, has. It's nonverbal, but then all of a sudden can play a piece of music. Hearing it once you're working different muscles just because one area listen I'm weak in most areas of my life, but I excel at putting mediocre comedy podcasts out four days a week. Do you make the connection that dyslexia in some shape or form pushed you toward comedy? Like, was it a defense mechanism? Comedy became your thing?

[Phil Hanley]

100%. Like, everything in my life, including my relationship with my mom or everything that I'm grateful in my life, my love for the Grateful Dead, everything is because I'm just like. I credit dyslexia with everything positive in my life. I'm from a small town, kind of like a mini Detroit in Canada. Now I live in New York City because I'm just like, all these things are because I'm dyslexic and. Yeah. Comedy. Yeah. Because I was so stifled in school. You're like, okay, read 10 pages and then you don't and then talk about it and you have nothing to say. You know, from first grade to grade 12.

[Brian Green]

Yeah.

[Phil Hanley]

So recess and any opportunity that I did have to communicate, it was like, you know, my first set on the Tonight Show. I was just ready to rock.

[Brian Green]

Yeah.

[Phil Hanley]

And really wanted to express myself and let people know because I. I was so stifled in other areas.

[Brian Green]

And you. You. You're really quite brilliant. One of the. You know, you. You had your. I've been following your comedy for a long time, and I think I really started to enjoy your comedy on social media during the pandemic. You're brilliant at crowd work. I think it's one of the things you probably would be known for, at least on social media. But one of the things that impressed me when I started doing homework about you, Phil, is that there are so many other comedians who have said such wonderful things about you, like other legendary, you know, John Oliver and John Stewart and.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah.

[Brian Green]

They say. And Sam Morrill, who we've had on the show. Mark Norman. They say such wonderful things about you. You're a comic with a point. Right. And that's like some people. I think Amy Schumer said that's desperately needed it. Could you have imagined in your wildest dream, when did you start comedy?

[Phil Hanley]

I started comedy. I started in Vancouver. Yeah. Like a couple decades ago.

[Brian Green]

Yeah.

[Phil Hanley]

And with the dream of, like, Vancouver's so far from New York City. But my goal was comedian had come out the documentary. The Seinfeld documentary.

[Joy Hoadley]

Oh, right.

[Phil Hanley]

He hangs out at the Comedy Cellar, and he's hanging out with Colin Quinn and working on jokes, and that was like my dream. And. Yeah. So it seems so far away. So. Yeah. You didn't I don't think I let you finish a question, but, yeah, it's so surreal that I get to work with these people and that, you know, I get to perform in the Comedy Cellar every night and stuff like that because it was so far away and it's really hard for Canadians to immigrate to the States and all that stuff.

[Brian Green]

Yeah, go ahead, please.

[Phil Hanley]

No, I was just gonna say. But that's all I started with so many people that have now stopped doing comedy or, you know, stayed in Vancouver, which is great. I mean, Vancouver is an amazing place to live.

[Joy Hoadley]

Oh, so beautiful.

[Phil Hanley]

But I. Because I was dyslexic, I was like. I mean, stand up is really hard. And I have never been good at anything else. I'm not good at anything else. I'd never had anything like where the more you put into it, the more you get out of it type thing. I just kind of stayed and just did comedy every day, wrote every day, tried to do shows every day. So it took a long time. But, yeah, I mean, to me, I'm. Again, I'm so grateful that. That I know these people and get to perform with them and talk about jokes.

[Brian Green]

I. I guess my. My second part of that question. Do you. Is it hard to take that compliment that the other people who are considered, you know, really good at the craft or comedians or people in comedy, you know, that are, you know, put up on a pedestal, essentially? Is it hard to take that compliment that they think you're the guy that they want to be like, you know, oh, my God, he's the guy that I. I enjoy.

[Phil Hanley]

I mean, I. Yeah, I've never heard anyone say it like that, and that would. It feels great. Yeah, it feels really good. If someone said that to my face, I'd get really uncomfortable and change the subject. I'm still very Canadian. But no, it. Yeah, it feels really good, especially in comedy, because. And it's like. I mean, comedians talk about it all the time, but it's the same in any aspect of pop culture, is sometimes you can be like, you know, all comics think David Tal is the greatest. Yeah, he's not necessarily, you know, the most. You know, he's not playing arenas. A lot of comedians are playing arenas and stuff like that. But it feels good because sometimes, you know, you do. You feel not recognized. And I'm really grateful. Now some people, you know, people are coming to my shows and stuff like that more and more. But for many, many years, I, you know, I would just go and it would be, you know, people would get Free tickets or, you know, I'd have a six fans or whatever. So it feels nice to get those compliments from. From other comedians because for. It takes a long time to be recognized in the sense that, you know, people are coming to your shows and stuff.

[Brian Green]

Yeah. You're like a true journeyman comic. And do you. Do you credit social media with this new fan base? Like, the ability to connect directly with people?

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah, I was. I was. So my goal was to play the Comedy Cellar, and I did it. And then for 10 years, I was just like. And I was watching a lot of my friends, like Sam and Mark, you know, start playing theaters and all this.

[Brian Green]

Stuff and make their own gin.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah, yeah. Bodega cat. But I. Yeah, I was just really content writing. And then I finally started. Yeah. Posting online. And I've always. I post crowd work clips because then I don't burn material.

[Brian Green]

Right.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah.

[Brian Green]

That's smart, folks.

[Phil Hanley]

Then when I try to sell a special, they'll be like, oh, yeah, we've seen. This has all been posted. So improvising. Part of my love for the Grateful Dead and I think their influence on me. I want every show to be different each time. So I. I improvise, you know, in my jokes and in between my jokes, and then we just cut up those. I tour now with, like, a videographer. Yeah. Cut up those chunks and then post those. So then when people come to my shows, they haven't heard the jokes, and then crowd work is going to be different each time. So. Yeah, that really helped me, but I was so reluctant for social media.

[Joy Hoadley]

Yeah.

[Brian Green]

You know, one. Yeah. Every. So many comics we've talked to.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah.

[Joy Hoadley]

It's tough.

[Brian Green]

It's tough.

[Joy Hoadley]

You need to be consistent with it and really do it right.

[Phil Hanley]

Yes.

[Joy Hoadley]

In the right way.

[Chrissy]

So.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah.

[Joy Hoadley]

And it's intimidating for us even.

[Phil Hanley]

It's intimidating. Yeah. And it's also. It's like comics get so spoiled because it's like we just do what we want to do every day. You know, we get up, we get a coffee, we write, and then all of a sudden, you got to start posting. Like, you hear if a comic has a dentist appointment the next day, it's like. Like the complaining because it can't do exactly what they want to do.

[Joy Hoadley]

Yeah.

[Brian Green]

It puts a kink armor. You're like, holy shit. You mean I have something on my. I got to be at the commercial break at 12:15. Are you kidding me?

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah. Because we're so used. We're really, you know, spoiled in that sense that we just kind of do exactly what we want to do all day, you know.

[Brian Green]

You know, I. One time we had this, like, conversation about the greatest American rock band. And I. I made the argument that it's the Grateful Dead.

[Phil Hanley]

Yes.

[Brian Green]

Not because they have the greatest music in the world. They have a lot of great music. I'm also a Deadhead. I love the Grateful Dead. Yeah. But because from the beginning, they weren't all that great. They just started noodling around with each other. But they went on a journey, and without selling a ton of albums, they went on a journey and. And the mistakes and all the improvisation, it was going to be good one night, bad the next. Every single time that they picked up their instruments or Jerry started to sing or whoever, it was something different. All the warts and all, it came out. But they. We watched that growth. We watched them through that journey. And I often think that, like, when I think about, like, George Carlin's, you know, career or whoever, whoever you enjoy as a. As a comedian. If you looked at their entire history, the best often go through that. They are journeyman comics. They do improvise, they. Changing all the time, the warts and all. Some good, some's bad, some ugly. How hard is it to get up there every night? And I mean, you're so good at it probably now, but that crowd interaction, you're so fast and you're so snappy with it. Is that just a muscle? Is that like a muscle that you work? You're in the zone.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah, I think. I mean, it's. I credit. I think it's part of my dyslexic brain. It's also. When I started in Vancouver, I write really short jokes and I was able to be funny for 10 minutes. So these, you know, senior comedians in the scene would be like, come on the road with me to play some logging camp in the Rocky Mountain. But they would be. They would say, you have to do half an hour. And I didn't have half an hour. So I would be on stage and I would just please someone, heckle, please, a waitress, drop a tray of drinks. Like, I would want something to happen so I could be like, get off my material and go into the crowd for that. And that was always. That was that. That was just something that I developed. Always wanting something to happen, a heckle, anything. Rush the stage, do something on and stretch. Because there's no worse feeling than, you know, a room of drunk people wearing plaid looking at you. You have half an hour and you, in your head, you're like, I have three minutes of material left.

[Joy Hoadley]

Yeah.

[Phil Hanley]

Not 12 minutes. Like, I have 18.

[Brian Green]

Yeah.

[Phil Hanley]

So I, I think I developed it like that. And I think it's really my humor when I'm riffing with the crowd and stuff is really the humor that my friends in Oshawa, Ontario, grew up encouraging. Me just being a smart ass at a party or.

[Brian Green]

Yeah.

[Phil Hanley]

So I, I. That part of my act I've kind of been working on since I was, like, a kid or my family. Really encouraged. We would have these big dinners and we would invite my friends and my sister's friends and stuff, and we would all kind of just riff and balls at the dinner table. And it was really more important to my parents, particularly my dad, than my grades was being funny at dinner.

[Joy Hoadley]

Nice. And you mentioned someone rushing the stage. Did that happen to you?

[Phil Hanley]

Oh, it's happened a few times. Yeah. A woman that could take me in an arm wrestle for sure rushed the stage and it was in. I mean, I've, I've had it a few times, but not because I'm so provocative or whatever, but it's more just. I did a lot of shitty gigs and I.

[Brian Green]

People were pissed. They spent the money.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah. And I did a show in St. Louis, and I have a rule. I try to be nice. If someone heckles me or whatever, I try to approach them nicely and it rarely happens. You know, when you go to a club, the bouncers are always like, if there's, you know, what should we say? Do we have a coat? And I'm like, no one's gonna say any. Like, yeah. People that come to my shows are very well behaved and just want to have fun or whatever, generally. But this is. I mean, God, this is probably 16 years ago. Whatever. No one was there to see me. And I was in St. Louis, and before I took the mic out, her husband heckled me and I shot him down and wasn't particularly kind about it.

[Brian Green]

Yeah.

[Chrissy]

Okay.

[Phil Hanley]

And then the next thing I knew, I could see everyone's eyes, like, a little bit beside. And this woman was just, like, shaking and seething because I heckled. Because I, you know, slammed her husband and she was on stage and it was like, you just sense when someone is, like, just so close to punching you. Yeah, yeah. And the doorman didn't. The guys at the clubs didn't. And I was like, you know, if I worked here, I would really. So they finally got her off the stage and they sat her back in her seat, which was front row. Brutal. But it killed a lot of time.

[Joy Hoadley]

Yeah, Exactly.

[Brian Green]

It killed 10 of the 20 minutes. But I'm sure that, like, I don't know, I don't know if I was like Tom Papa maybe was saying this. One of the things about comedians is that we get out there like a lot of middle aged, you know, he was talking about like middle aged men. He's like, a lot of middle aged men, they, they're in their houses, they sit around, they watch tv, they go to work, they come home. He's like, one of the things about comics is that we get to get out and we observe things and things happen and there's action and there's moments and, you know, we see different people and we get different perspectives. I'm sure that after 20, 25 years of doing this, your, your brain is probably filled with all of these stories and moments and that becomes like, I don't know, it's, it's, it's like training for a marathon. You know, you keep on going and you get through the next hurdle, you break the next mile, and you become better and better at what you do. I really think you're very, like, you're a very talented comic, but also you're really good at making a point. I think there's a couple types of comics and I think, if I may, the type of comic you are is you're, you're funny, but then also you can make a point. And I think that's when comedy is like a noble profession, when you make a point.

[Phil Hanley]

Thank you. Yeah. It's funny that you say that. We. Yeah, not that, not that. Just comedians get to go out, but like, we have to, like. Yeah, I was thinking this, and this is such a crazy thought, but I was like, you know, I'm working on a new hour and then I'm already planning that. I have to record that in time to, you know, because every two years you go back to the, the next city, right?

[Brian Green]

Sure.

[Phil Hanley]

You need a new hour than you had two years ago type thing, right? Yeah. Like, I was walking down the street, it just popped in my head. I was like, I got to have a kid. Like, I need.

[Brian Green]

Right.

[Joy Hoadley]

That provides material, right?

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah, change. Something needs to change in your life. Like, I just moved to a completely different neighborhood. I lived in East Village forever. I moved into a neighborhood, new building, different type of building. Because I'm like, you just need to, you know, you can't be a certain age and talking about sexting still. Like, it's like, yeah, I mean, you can. I mean, I would love to hear a comic that's 70 years old.

[Brian Green]

Yes, yes.

[Phil Hanley]

Me you just don't want to have. I had those jokes last time. You need kind of new stuff.

[Brian Green]

Let me give you that comics name. His name is Eddie Brill. And if you can see it. Do you know Eddie Brill?

[Phil Hanley]

I know Eddie. I haven't seen any a while, but I do know Eddie from when I first moved to New York.

[Brian Green]

Yeah, he's still out there. He's still kick. He's really, really very, very funny. He's still out there doing his thing. He used to be, I think, the Letterman talent coordinator.

[Phil Hanley]

Warm up for Letterman. And yeah, he's someone who's been around for, for a long time. Talk about, he must have amazing stories because he, you know, we worked with all these legends.

[Brian Green]

We had a, like clubhouse was a thing during the pandemic. Clubhouse was this app where you like social audio app. Everyone would get on rooms and talk to each other. And we met Eddie Brill and then we started doing a room with him. And every Friday night he would bring in comics to talk about their stories. And Eddie would give all, you know, he had all these stories. And one day he calls me up and he says, I need you to get on the phone with my friend Bill. We're going to have him in the room. And I said, oh, okay. And you got this. The podcast had just started and I said, okay, who's your friend Bill? And 15 minutes later, I'm on the phone with Bill Burr and I'm like, holy, Eddie. Like, you gotta give a brother a little bit. Yeah, he's got a, he had a Rolodex a mile long. So you're in your new apartment. It's, it looks great from this angle. I just want to let you know.

[Joy Hoadley]

Fantastic lighting.

[Brian Green]

Yeah, lighting. Do you still enjoy the, the hustle bustle of comedy? Is it like in your blood at this point? I just like it. I go, yeah, I do.

[Phil Hanley]

Because it's great. Because it's always, it's always cha. Like, you know, it's always changing. You get to do different venues and stuff like that. And I love like, you know, trying to figure out jokes and then. Yeah, you get tired of traveling and stuff like that. But yeah, it's, yeah, I mean, I, I love it. And also now I'm so grateful that, you know, I'll do after shows. I, I, you know, you get to meet people who, you know, they just found out their kids dyslexic. You get to have that conversation. I'm so grateful that a lot of. I'll Be on stage, I'll look out. There's a lot of tie dyed shirts at my shows now. There's a lot of deadheads that come to shows which, yeah, I'm always really excited about and talk to them. And so, yeah, I think I enjoy it more. It changes, but I enjoy it more now than probably ever. Like, I'm so excited for the fall. I have a big tour coming up and. Yeah, yeah, I do. I really love it.

[Brian Green]

Is this the part you're getting excited about? Like when we, when we, we've talked to Tom Papa a couple of times, a number of times. One of the things that he said has changed is that when he was young, you know, he went up and he did his set and, you know, he wanted to get the laughs and be the best and do the thing and sell out the arena. He said, now what I really enjoy is I really like meeting the people, hanging out with the folks, you know, talking to them, hearing their personal stories. And he goes, and it's always great when I get a, hey, your comedy affected me in this.

[Chrissy]

He said.

[Brian Green]

So my reason or my thoughts about success have changed. I have the money, I can do the thing, whatever. He said, what I really enjoy now is getting to meet people and saying hi to them. Is that you finding that similar in your.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah, I do. I, Yeah, I love that. And also now I get to. I can afford to bring the people that I like on the road with me and stuff like that. Really cool. And yeah, it's, it's, it's great to meet people. I, I lived in England many, many years ago and I get to play England now. I did it last year and I'll do it this year and I'll do it next year. And yeah, so just the traveling to new places and meeting people and it's also, it's like, I feel like now if you just sit in your house and you watch TV and you watch the news, it's so, Everything seems so divided. Yes, right? And it's a yes. You feel so kind of isolated and you feel like this group of people think this way and this. And then when you travel, like, you know, I'll play every, you know, red states, blue states, meet people and you're like, yeah, you don't, you don't feel that anymore. You really feel that, you know, you might not agree on everything, but, you.

[Joy Hoadley]

Know, a lot more common.

[Phil Hanley]

Yes, absolutely. You meet great people that probably didn't vote for the same person as you.

[Brian Green]

Yeah, I think that part of like, I think Loneliness is about comedy, I agree. Is comedy breaks down these walls.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah.

[Joy Hoadley]

People together. Yeah.

[Brian Green]

It breaks down these walls and it can at times then give an opening. It's like you open a, you take away the armor for a minute, opens a soft spot to open your mind to another idea or see that we are all, we all laugh at the same shit, we all bleed the same color. I mean, it's really interesting. And I think that when you sit around and, you know, I think first of all, I think social media and being online gives a lot of people courage that they otherwise don't or some kind of stupidity that they otherwise don't have in real life. And number two is that these television stations, the news and all this other stuff, it is there to divide us because that's what sells advertising. And then people become lonely. And loneliness, I think, is a real epidemic. And I love going to see live comedy for that for one reason. Yeah, yeah. It feels good to be in the same room laughing with people, to have a common something.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah, absolutely. And I always find that you'll, like, play, you know, you'll play some on the weekend and you'll come back and people like, oh, how was that? And you're like, it was great. I met the best people on the shows, were amazing. And I think certain, like, you know, San Francisco people think that everyone's going to be like, this way and then San Antonio, everything, and it's, it's just not the case, you know. True.

[Brian Green]

Well, maybe just cool people like your comedy, Phil. Maybe that's what's going on.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah, I, I, I definitely, I think people that like my comedy are cool. But I mean, like, I'll meet someone after the show and it'll be like, he'll be like, he'll work for like the FBI. Like, some job is so far from. I was like, whoa. I watch movies about like, yeah, my.

[Brian Green]

Favorite television show is about a guy like you, and I don't like that guy. On. Who are the comics that you are bringing on the road? Who are the up and comers? Who do we need to pay attention to? Who do we need to invite onto the show?

[Phil Hanley]

One of my openers is Anna Bianco and she's based in New York and super, super funny. And then I also bring someone named Michael Myers, who's a really cool dude. He's based in Chicago and we have very similar taste in music. And the green room is playing great tunes. Yeah, yeah, it's great. So that's, that's really nice. And that's something that I, I never had before. You know, let me.

[Brian Green]

Well, that backs into to a question I like to ask every comic of note on this show is who, when you were growing up, who were you watching? And. And who do you consider some of the best comics doing it today or doing it in the past?

[Phil Hanley]

When I, I started, I loved Seinfeld. I used to watch Seinfeld all the time with my mom. I loved Mitch Hedberg. When I was in Vancouver, when I was first starting, Zach Galifianakis was filming a television show there. And he would do stand up and at like, he was like famous and he would play these, like, open mics that we would do, these like, alternative rooms. And I'd never seen anyone so confident and so kind of just like he take the mic and walk outside of the club. Like, just so cool and so original. Those are guys. And then there's, there's like, local guys in Vancouver that, you know, really influential. There's a Canadian comedian named Brent Butt. That's great. Graham Clark is a local comedian in Vancouver. That's still there. That's amazing. He does this, this talent to raise money. He does like 24 hours of stand up comedy.

[Brian Green]

Oh, shit.

[Phil Hanley]

No. Yeah, it's insane. And where you got the idea?

[Brian Green]

That's where I got the idea. We did 12 hours. I had an idea to do 24 hours of podcasting for mental health awareness, but I decided that it was bad for my mental health, So I did 12 hours. Yeah.

[Phil Hanley]

When did you do that?

[Brian Green]

Just about four weeks ago. Yeah.

[Phil Hanley]

How did you feel afterwards?

[Brian Green]

We did. Felt okay, actually. It wasn't the worst thing in the world. Yeah. Well, now we had like, celebrity we. And I say celebrity. We brought up like, Tom Papa, Reggie Watts, some other. Some other folks that we brought on, and we recorded three of those. Three or four of those ahead of time. So it ended up being seven or eight episodes in a day that we put out. We recorded and then put out. But I got to be honest, it wasn't as bad as I had thought it would be. So now I do want to do the 24 hours, but Chrissy won't agree to it.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah.

[Brian Green]

I said just come in for 12.

[Chrissy]

Yeah.

[Joy Hoadley]

Yeah.

[Phil Hanley]

It's funny how that when you do do like, it is tiring and, you know, like, I have friends that work in like, steel mills and stuff like that. And I hate for them to hear me say this, but podcasting and stuff is really. It's funny because you're so engaged and you're so, you know, you're really on. So I would imagine 12 hours would be. You'd be pretty wiped.

[Brian Green]

It's exhausting. We took a couple breaks and that's what did it. Actually, you know, the strange thing is is that was called. We called it tcb's Endless Day. And I think you were going to be one of the people who were going to come on and we're going to do an interview with you. But the timing didn't work out. But we had. We were talking to. Anyway, whatever you were. But we're glad to have you now. I wanted to ask you something about your mom because you talk very fondly of her. I've seen throughout the years you've said. You've said a few things really nice about your mom. Is she still with us?

[Phil Hanley]

Yes.

[Brian Green]

Mom and you. So you still have a great relationship with her.

[Phil Hanley]

Talked to her for an hour and a half yesterday while I was grocery shopping.

[Brian Green]

I love that I love somebody who loves their mom.

[Joy Hoadley]

I miss my mom.

[Brian Green]

Yeah. Yeah, yeah. It's gotta be close though. Like that does. Do your mom and dad, do they have a great sense of. You said you. You already said it's important. It was important for your dad. Like being funny was important to your dad. I wish my dad was like that. We could be funny. We were four boys in an Irish Catholic house. We could be funny at the dinner table. But there wasn't. There was no value placed on that. I think as we got into teenagers, maybe he loosened up a little bit. But was your house a very funny place? Was everybody.

[Phil Hanley]

My dad is really funny. My sister's really funny. My mom is probably the greatest straight man.

[Joy Hoadley]

I love that.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah. And it's funny. I've never bombed with my mom. Everything I've ever said with my mom always hits. That's a good sense of humor.

[Chrissy]

That's got that.

[Brian Green]

I think that in life, I mean, I guess you could look at it both ways.

[Chrissy]

We've talked.

[Brian Green]

I think we've had conversations with people who had not so great childhoods and they were very disconnected from their parents and they ended up being remarkably funny. But then there's a through line sometimes I think, which is that the environment that someone is in ends up fostering the confidence. The confidence to be funny. Right. It's like there's no doubt I'm funny because my parents always thought I was funny or my family always thought I was funny. So I had this already instilled self confidence about who I was as a comedian just walking out the door. And I love to hear when parents are supportive of the creativity of their children. Because not all parents are like that. It takes. I think. I think that must be hard.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah. It is important because comedy is, like. You could have the greatest line, and if you, like, don't say it exactly when it pops into your head, it's not, you know, like a tenth of a second later, it's no longer funny. Like, the timing is so key.

[Brian Green]

Yeah.

[Phil Hanley]

And to have, like. I remember my. My friends have commented growing up, like, later that I would, like. Where did you get the confidence to be? You know, we'd be at, like, a. We'd be in grade nine and at, like, a 12th grade party, and I would have no qualms with, you know, bebop. And it just never. I don't know, it just popped into my head. So I felt that I should say it. But obviously that comes from, you know, years of doing that.

[Brian Green]

Sure.

[Phil Hanley]

With your family and it being, you know, celebrated.

[Joy Hoadley]

Yeah.

[Brian Green]

Well, let me get philosophical for you here for a minute.

[Chrissy]

I'll quote Ram Dass.

[Brian Green]

With. Let me get philosophical here for a moment.

[Joy Hoadley]

Brian likes to have.

[Brian Green]

I like to have little philosophical moments.

[Phil Hanley]

I love it.

[Brian Green]

That is God, my friend. That's just God working through you. That is the magic of the universe just streaming through you. Like you said, it's there one moment, it's not there the next. Either you're in it. Either the flow is there and it's just coming out you, or it's not. I imagine when I watch comedians like yourself, and you're on and you're hitting and it's funny and you're in a room and you're commanding that room. You know, I think even Jerry said this in a different way, is that I just tune out and let it flow through me. It's just coming through me. Right. It's like you pulling it out of thin air.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah. Yeah. Magically moving. The dead talk about that all the time and. Yeah, that's it. To get to that place, there was a Bob Weir quote where he's talking about when he plays music and, like, time kind of just dissipates and goes away. And sometimes you'll start a show and you're waiting for that to happen and eventually happens. But, yeah, that's the best place to be. And that's where you are when you're in, like, a great conversation or when you're with the right person or intimate moment. Dare I say you're in. You're just in the moment. And it almost goes away when I first saw the Dead when I was a kid, that I got there through their music and I, I think someone also had spiked my drink. But I, that was something, I chased that for sure. And it's something that it happens when you're on stage, and it's such an amazing thing. I meditate a lot, and sometimes it's easier to get there on stage than it is through meditation.

[Brian Green]

You do tm, right?

[Phil Hanley]

I do, I do TM and I do Vipassana.

[Brian Green]

Very, very interesting. I don't do tm, but I do meditate.

[Joy Hoadley]

Interesting.

[Brian Green]

Me too. I' interested in it. You know who started talking about it that got me interested in it was actually Howard Stern a number of years ago, I don't know, 20 years ago, he started talking about how he was doing dm and I thought, what in the world is he. And then I, I, I read about it. But I've, I've been meditating for years and years, and it can be really difficult to get to that place to quiet the mind, to be in the spot, to get in the flow, whatever the you want to say. Yeah, but creatively, when we're in the room and something's hitting, I know it, and it's like I'm just tuned out. It's like I can watch myself from the top of the room just, you know, rolling and being funny and unfortunately, most of our listeners don't think so, but I think so in the moment.

[Joy Hoadley]

We laugh at each other.

[Brian Green]

We laugh at each other.

[Chrissy]

Yeah. Okay.

[Brian Green]

One more question. Do you enjoy. So you saw Jerry and you saw the original lineup of the Grateful Dead Meant the original, but you saw a lineup of the Grateful Dead with Jerry. Do you enjoy the new version, the new rekindle1 with OTL?

[Phil Hanley]

Yep, I do, I do immensely. It's, it's, I don't. I go into it not comparing it. Jerry Garcia was, it was such a gifted person that it's not, he was just comparison.

[Joy Hoadley]

Yeah. It's his own thing.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah. And yeah, no, I, I, I'm, I'm going to see Dead and Co to celebrate the dead 60th anniversary in San Francisco.

[Joy Hoadley]

Oh, you're going to that?

[Phil Hanley]

Yes.

[Joy Hoadley]

That's gonna be big.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah, I can't wait. And I, but I go to, Yeah, I see the Dead. I go with my best friend from high school and sometimes other, other people from high school. And yeah, we, you know, I, I see them every year. Whatever. Yeah, whatever. Whatever the it is because it's iteration. Yeah. It's a celebration of the music and Yeah, I go, I boogie. It's great. I love it.

[Joy Hoadley]

I go every year here in Atlanta.

[Phil Hanley]

Oh, cool. Yeah.

[Brian Green]

Phil, I think this comedy thing might be your thing. I think you should stick with it. I think things are going to turn.

[Chrissy]

Up roses for you, my friend.

[Brian Green]

I think if you keep on plugging away, you're on the right track. I think if you keep plugging away, you never know, maybe someday you'll make a living doing it. Phil is on a extensive tour in the fall and in the winter. Am I right about that?

[Phil Hanley]

Right. Yeah. I'm going to Europe starting at the end of August, and then I come back and I play. Yeah. All over. All over North.

[Brian Green]

Are you coming to Atlanta?

[Phil Hanley]

You know what? I played Atlanta a couple months ago.

[Chrissy]

Okay.

[Phil Hanley]

Yes. But I'll be back. But it was the first time that I'd ever been to Atlanta and the shows were great and I met such cool people.

[Joy Hoadley]

Oh, good.

[Brian Green]

Well, when you come to Atlanta, we would request a few minutes of your time. We'd love to sit and talk with us or we'll come to the show.

[Phil Hanley]

Oh, I would love that. Yeah. I mean, you guys have such a great energy.

[Brian Green]

Thank you.

[Phil Hanley]

I'm very selective of what podcasts that I do. Not that there's like a huge demand, but, you know, I'm asked to do a fair amount.

[Brian Green]

Sure.

[Phil Hanley]

No, I was really excited to do your guys podcast, so thank you so much.

[Joy Hoadley]

Oh, my God, I feel so honored.

[Brian Green]

I do feel honored because you're also one of my favorite comics, so.

[Joy Hoadley]

And the energy you have.

[Phil Hanley]

Oh, thank you.

[Brian Green]

It's infectious. Yeah. When you get a couple cool cats together, you can rub sticks and make fire. That's what I'm trying to say, Chrissy. Phil, all his links are in the show notes. He also has a book. He's got so much material out there. Follow him on social media, go to the website. All of that stuff will be available to you in the show notes. If you don't know Phil, you should. And we really appreciate your time today.

[Joy Hoadley]

Thank you.

[Brian Green]

And I imagine we'll be seeing each other soon. Thank you, Phil.

[Phil Hanley]

Thank you, guys. Talk about time dissipating. I cannot believe that it's come. That flew by.

[Brian Green]

Yeah, it really did. Well, I often, when we have a good guest on, have often said, you know, we ask for 45 minutes to an hour because you get a little nervous and when you don't know somebody, if it's not going so great, you don't want to have to try and make conversation where it's not there, but sometimes when the conversation is flowing, you wish. You wish you had more time. And this was one of those conversations. And I say that honestly.

[Phil Hanley]

So can I say something before we go?

[Brian Green]

Yeah.

[Phil Hanley]

Talked about why the Grateful Dead is the greatest American band. There was some points that I would just like to point out very quickly. Sign off here.

[Brian Green]

Yes.

[Phil Hanley]

That more so than any band, they incorporated every aspect of American music. Bluegrass, jazz. And also they started their own. This improvisation thing that's now it's a whole gene on itself.

[Brian Green]

Yes.

[Joy Hoadley]

100.

[Brian Green]

Let me make one more point. Why the. Why the Grateful Dead are the greatest American band, musical group that's ever been and may ever be is because they actively sought out the inclusion and the participation of the people who were in love with their music. And that is almost as important as the music is being played. They started a community that will probably live on forever, at least as far as humans are concerned.

[Phil Hanley]

Well, Phil Lesh, who unfortunately passed away in the last year, he compared the Dead. He said, they'll be performed the way Shakespeare is, and it really will. I mean, they're playing Goldgate park for three days, 60 years after they got together, and those three shows are all sold out.

[Brian Green]

And.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah, it's really. And it was an American adventure. They toured everywhere.

[Joy Hoadley]

Did you go to the Sphere?

[Phil Hanley]

I did go to the Sphere. Yeah.

[Joy Hoadley]

I went there, too, last summer.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah. So. Yeah.

[Joy Hoadley]

That was incredible.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah.

[Brian Green]

Isn't this the 9th year anniversary or the 10th year anniversary of the Grateful Dead with Trey? Or the Dead with Trey at the. At. Yeah, at Soldier Field.

[Phil Hanley]

Because that was such a phenomenal weekend.

[Brian Green]

Did you go?

[Phil Hanley]

I did go.

[Chrissy]

Yeah.

[Brian Green]

We. Chrissy and I watched it on tv.

[Joy Hoadley]

My husband was there. Yeah.

[Phil Hanley]

Did he have a great time?

[Joy Hoadley]

Oh, fantastic.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah, it was so. Oh, my. They did it so well. I still have. They get. When you walk in, they gave you a rose and. Yeah. It was so phenomenal. Trey was incredible. The band was so inspired. Bill Murray was hanging out.

[Joy Hoadley]

Yeah.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah. That was such an amazing weekend. God, it was phenomenal. Chicago, such a great Dead town.

[Joy Hoadley]

Yeah, it's a great city.

[Brian Green]

It was so good that energetically. Even through the tv.

[Joy Hoadley]

Yeah.

[Brian Green]

We were dancing in the room.

[Joy Hoadley]

We were.

[Brian Green]

Yeah, we were dancing in the room and I.

[Joy Hoadley]

Our drinks might have been spiked.

[Brian Green]

Yeah, Our drinks. Only I did it. I did it to myself.

[Phil Hanley]

It did. They did their version of that version of Throwing Stones and Trey and Bobby are, like, squaring up and pushing each other and. Yeah. Yeah. It was phenomenal. Bruce Hornsby. I love Bruce Hornsby. I got me too far with the Dead. Yeah, it was really. That was really, really, really a special weekend in Chicago when you ordered an Uber instead of like, you know, it has the car arriving. It was a steal your face. Yeah, it was really. That was really, really special. And I. And I'm assuming that this weekend in San Francisco, in, I guess it's like almost a month to the day. Yeah. Will be equally, equally special. I get so much inspiration from the Dead and the idea that, like you said, they'd made a mistake. There's no mistakes. Because if you make a mistake, then you just. Yeah, you mean.

[Brian Green]

Yeah, exactly. It's just. It's what, you know, you want to call it. Mistakes, warts, whatever it is, the good, the bad and the ugly, it all just rolls into this big, beautiful thing that's constantly growing and shrinking at the same time. I mean, I could get. We could do this all day long. Honestly, I just. I love talking about this because music, comedy, art in general, like, it's just a. It's a. It's a godly pursuit. It's a way that God comes through you. I'd rather go to the Dead show than church any day of the week. And anybody who doesn't say that does.

[Chrissy]

I don't know if I want to be friends.

[Brian Green]

It is church for a lot of people. It's just a magical, magical thing. And when done right, it can. It can lift you to a new place, it can open up dimensions, and you don't even have to be hided to understand that if you've ever been to a Dead show or fish show.

[Chrissy]

Or this panic show or whatever it.

[Brian Green]

Is, you're into that punk. Who cares?

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah.

[Brian Green]

Music and comedy that kind of take you to the same place. And Phil, I think you're one of the better ones doing it out there today. And I hope all of our listeners, if they haven't, go and check out your material and go see Phil when he comes to your town.

[Phil Hanley]

That's right.

[Brian Green]

Because he will lift you up like a Grateful Dead show. Thank you.

[Phil Hanley]

Well, again, thank you guys for having me. Sorry for extending that.

[Brian Green]

No, we got all the time. You got to catch the train. You go do your thing.

[Phil Hanley]

Well, thank you guys so much. I was really honored to be on your podcast, and I can't wait to. I don't know if you do people in the studio, but we should do a Dead episode next time I'm in Atlanta.

[Joy Hoadley]

That's a great idea.

[Brian Green]

That's a great idea. We have this studio which is in My personal home. But then we also have a studio with our network and we just started doing in person interviews. So when you come to Atlanta, Done deal. We'll sit in the studio and I'll break some copyright laws and we'll play some.

[Joy Hoadley]

My husband will come down for that too.

[Phil Hanley]

Oh, cool. Well, I can't wait to meet him. Chicago.

[Brian Green]

You know what we might do? We'll invite a few of our Deadhead listener friends and they can come in and we'll all banter about the dead. We'll take questions as if we. As if we're experts.

[Phil Hanley]

Oh, that's great. All right, cool. Thanks guys again so much and I hope you have a great weekend and a happy 4th of July.

[Brian Green]

Happy 4th to you too, Phil Hanley. Thanks so much. Bye.

[Phil Hanley]

Bye. Thank you.

[Rachel]

Why don't you text us and we can text back and then you can text us and reply, then so on. It's a fun little game I've been playing and I think you'll be great at it. To watch 212-4333. TCB. That's 212-433-3822. You could leave a message too. If you do, maybe you'll end up being the voice of the show. But be warned, the pay is not great. You could go to the website and drop us an email. Also tcbpodcast.com and while you're there, you can get a free sticker. Who doesn't want a free sticker? Just go to the contact us button and ask for one. Follow us on insta at the commercial break and watch the [e-mail] thecommercial break. Now I'm gonna go back to that texting game you wanna play. Come on. Bye.

[Chrissy]

Well, I think that's one of the.

[Brian Green]

Nicest guests we've ever had on the commercial break.

[Joy Hoadley]

Joe, do we have a new friend?

[Chrissy]

I, you know, sometimes I think that's true and then it reveals itself not to be true.

[Brian Green]

He seemed genuine, but Phil did seem.

[Chrissy]

Genuine and I am very excited about him.

[Brian Green]

He, like, is so nice.

[Chrissy]

And for those you won't catch the very last part that because there's some stuff that's just private between me, Chrissy and the guest. But Phil was so generous with his time afterwards.

[Brian Green]

And it's true.

[Chrissy]

Like, I wish we had scheduled an hour and a half with Phil. This is the first guest. I will say this. This is the very first guest ever. There have been other guests who have said, oh, wow, that flew by. Or wow, that was a quick hour. Oh, I. Phil is the first person that we couldn't get off the phone. He was like, wait, just a couple more things. And it was, was.

[Brian Green]

It was truly enjoyable.

[Joy Hoadley]

I know.

[Brian Green]

I really like Phil. He will be back.

[Chrissy]

I don't know if I want to say he's our friend yet because he doesn't really know us and once he gets to know us, fall apart.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah.

[Chrissy]

I'm gonna try and not bother him like I do Mark Cuban.

[Joy Hoadley]

Yeah.

[Chrissy]

But Phil is super sweet. He's just such a nice guy. And he, like I said at the beginning of this episode, he is lauded by many other comedians you know and love as one of their favorite.

[Joy Hoadley]

He's got that humor gene.

[Chrissy]

He worked it. He's working it. There's other things that are not his strength. And then he worked comedy to his advantage. He's so quick. He's so good at crowd reactions, and he's a deadhead. So.

[Joy Hoadley]

Total package.

[Chrissy]

Total package. Hey, look out, Jeff. Here comes Phil.

[Joy Hoadley]

Jeff and Phil would love each other.

[Brian Green]

I think they would.

[Chrissy]

Yeah, I think they would be good friends.

[Joy Hoadley]

Get along.

[Chrissy]

That's why I'm never allowing Jeff anywhere near Phil. My Phil.

[Joy Hoadley]

My Phil.

[Chrissy]

My Phil. My new TCV guest boyfriend.

[Brian Green]

Phil.

[Chrissy]

Thank you very much. All the links in the show notes. He's on the forever tour, like a lot of our stand up comedian guests are. He's got so many dates, 68 of them coming up, up. So it's likely he'll be somewhere around you. I think this is one of those shows you should go see. You should go see stand up comedy as often as possible. Because if there's one thing that's hard to walk away from without a smile on your face, it's a good stand up comedy hour or two. I keep saying comedy and music, comedy and music. We should all focus on those two things and let a lot of the other go to the wayside. Or maybe we shouldn't. Maybe we should also pay attention to the. That stuff. I don't know.

[Joy Hoadley]

Anyway, it's a good break.

[Brian Green]

It's a good break.

[Chrissy]

That's for sure. All right, so all the links in the show notes follow him on the social media. Check out his book, his specials, and his live shows. Please, please, please, philhanley.com in case you're wondering where to go. Okay. Also, do us a favor, if you don't mind. 212-4333. TCB 212 433, 33822 questions, comments, concerns, content, ideas. We take them all right? There on that phone number. We will respond to you. Might take us a couple days, but we'll get back to you. TCBpodcast.com all the audio, all the video, everything about Chris, all that, not all the things about Chrissy and I. Some of it all there. And your free sticker and YouTube.com the commercial break for all the videos, including this one on YouTube right now.

[Brian Green]

Go check.

[Chrissy]

Check it out. Okay, Chrissy, that's all I can do for now.

[Joy Hoadley]

I think so.

[Chrissy]

I'll tell you that I love you.

[Joy Hoadley]

And I love you.

[Chrissy]

Best to you and best to you out there in the podcast universe. Until next time, Chrissy and I will.

[Brian Green]

Say, we do say, and we must say goodbye.

[Chrissy]

Sa.

[Brian Green]

Get some cocaine.