The Steve Austin Show: Comedic Legend Bill Burr Part One (SAS Classic)

Host: Steve Austin | Guest: Bill Burr
Date: April 22, 2025 | PodcastOne

Episode Overview

In this lively, unfiltered exchange, wrestling icon Steve Austin sits down with acclaimed comedian Bill Burr for a freewheeling conversation at Austin's famed "316 Gimmick Street." The episode delves into Bill’s early career, the realities of stand-up comedy, parallels with professional wrestling, the influence of childhood and family, handling failure, and the art of reading a crowd. Throughout, both men riff, reminisce, and bust each other’s balls with signature wit.

Key Topics & Discussion Points

1. Comedians in Cars (and Wrestling Legends Who Love Cars)

• Bill arrives in his well-worn Toyota Prius
  • Steve jokes about the Prius’s reputation and his own car quirks, offering Bill a deal on his Ford Focus.
  • Memorable quote:

    "When that thing needs to be washed, I could literally leave that car in the middle of a riot running, and no one would take it." —Bill Burr [04:17]

• Discussion segues into the practicality of Toyotas and the grief of car breakdowns from family deals.
• Bill reveals he's soon getting a “nice car” and dreads inevitable dings from careless drivers.

2. The Perils and Skepticism of New Technology

• Self-driving cars vs. control freaks (both admit to wanting to hold the wheel)
  • Bill’s skepticism about Teslas and their environmental impact; relays anecdotes about auto-pilot mishaps.
    • Memorable quote:

      “I think technology was fine right up till 1995. Somewhere in the 90s we had it. Right.” —Bill Burr [09:49]

• Both distrust technology beyond GPS navigation and resent “subversive feminism” of female-voiced navigation.

3. Books, ADD, and the Trouble with Reading

• Steve and Bill commiserate about struggling with traditional reading.
  • Bill: "It takes me like an hour to read five pages because every word reminds me I have ADD." [10:21]
• Both attest to excelling when interested (e.g., musical or wrestling biographies).

4. Upbringing in Boston: Big Families and Big Characters

• Bill details growing up as one of five brothers in Boston’s rough-and-tumble suburbs.
• Stories of sibling fights, household punishments (brushes, wooden spoons), and wild relatives.
  • Bill: "My parents, the rule was: don’t hit each other in the face... hit each other from here to here. That was considered working it out amongst yourselves." [21:01]

5. The Wrestling Connection: From Childhood Fandom to Adult Appreciation

• Bill passionately recalls being a dedicated wrestling fan from 1978 to early 1990s, missing the Attitude Era due to stand-up grind.
• Reveres the comedic genius of iconic wrestling characters, especially Ric Flair and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin.
  • Weekly ritual: watching wrestling with fellow comics and Patrice O’Neal via speakerphone.
    • Bill: "We would sit in the living room on his pullout bed... just waiting to hear what you guys were going to say and all the different storylines and stuff. It was great, man." [13:13]
• Both reflect on the physical pain behind pro wrestling and the brilliance in simplicity (Hogan’s leg drop, Austin’s stunner).

6. Shared Pain: Wrestling Moves at Home

• Bill and Steve reminisce about injuring themselves (and siblings) mimicking wrestling moves as kids.
  • Figure-four leglocks, airplane spins, and lessons on reversing the pain (from Steve: "You roll over, you reverse the pressure," [18:55]).
  • Bill: "Really, when I do it, I still get hurt, so..." [18:18]

7. Comedy Beginnings: Deciding to "Turn Pro"

• Bill’s stand-up origin story: enters a college comedy contest at Nick’s Comedy Stop after impulsively seeing an ad.
  • Bill: "You just get thrown in the deep end... I called the number before I chickened out." [24:33]
• Early struggle: learning to artificially create and structure jokes — the hardest adjustment when coming from being funny in conversation.

8. The Art of Paying Dues

• Brutal early gigs, bombing, not getting paid, traveling long distances for five-minute sets.
  • "I got paid $5 in gas money and it blew my mind." [29:06]
• Working dental office day jobs for his dad, dreams of quitting “incrementally.”
• The “incremental” nature of the comedy grind: host > feature > headliner; each small breakthrough was a milestone.
• Music as solace: Bill daydreamed about being a musician during long solo drives.

9. Building a Set and Working the Crowd

• Parallels between match structure in wrestling and building a stand-up act.
• Bill’s set process: loose structure; knows opener and closer but thrives on presence and improvisation.
  • "If you’re thinking, you’re stinking." —Zakk Wylde, quoted by Steve & echoed by Bill [41:06]
• Diagrams learning to build audience energy, pacing, and not following high-energy acts by starting “at 11” (lesson from senior comics).

10. Bombing, Resilience, and Coming Back

• Both share stories of coming off high-profile work, then tanking with indifferent or hostile crowds.
  • Bill’s worst: L.A. bar show while prepping for Letterman, heckler at a Queens of the Stone Age gig, outdoor shows opening for Wynonna Judd [50:36-53:45].
    • Bill: “I ate my balls. And then, I just abandoned my TV set and…tried to turn it around by giving shit about the Lakers… and they just ignored me.” [50:36]
• Both agree you never fully outgrow the possibility of bombing—it just gets easier to handle or laugh about.
• Steve: “If you lose your swagger, it’s over. I mean, you ain’t got it no more.” [55:20]

11. Failures and Career Rebounds

• Bill recounts failing to break into L.A. in ‘96, losing agents and stage time; returns to New York solely focused on “getting so funny they have to book me.”
  • “That was the only game plan I had. I went back… and just did a zillion shows… and then one day, I don’t know, come out the other side.” [55:46-58:07]
• Key breaks: Chappelle’s Show, HBO, Opie & Anthony, “Breaking Bad,” and Netflix—all gradual, cumulative steps.

Notable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

• On the Prius’s virtues:
  “I could literally leave that car in the middle of a riot running, and no one would take it.” —Bill Burr [04:17]
• On the comedy grind:
  “The first 10, 20 times you do it, all it has to do with is when they call your name, having the balls to go back up there.” —Bill Burr [26:45]
• On the trauma of childhood fights:
  “My parents, the rule was: don’t hit each other in the face. Hit each other from here to here. That was considered working it out amongst yourselves.” —Bill Burr [21:01]
• On reading a crowd:
  "You do it long enough… it’s a big noise you’re controlling. Then you got to know when to bring them up, when to bring them down." —Bill Burr [42:22]
• On failing in L.A.:
  “I just was not booking anything and I couldn’t get stage time. Once you’re the new guy and then nothing happens… you’re out.” —Bill Burr [55:46]
• On never losing that post-set anxiety:
  “You’re always hanging on that last performance…I mean, rocked 'em—you’re on cloud nine…you go out there and just lay a big pile of shit, nobody gives a fuck.” —Steve Austin [54:28]

Essential Segment Timestamps

• Prius banter & car stories: [01:54–04:21]
• Technology, ADD, and navigation: [06:29–10:39]
• Bill’s Boston upbringing: [21:05–24:33]
• Wrestling fandom & childhood injuries: [12:21–19:03], [16:14–19:03]
• First stand-up experiences: [24:33–29:06]
• Building a comedic act & handling crowds: [33:29–38:39], [41:06–47:02]
• Career lows & resilience: [50:36–58:07]

Tone & Atmosphere

The episode is warm, unscripted, and consistently funny—filled with inside jokes, mutual admiration, and colorful curses. Both men are candid about struggles, proud of hard-earned wisdom, and quick to steer a story into a punchline. The exchanges flow naturally, blending Bill Burr’s self-deprecation with Austin’s working-class bluntness.

For New Listeners

This episode delivers a behind-the-scenes look at two showbiz icons—one from sports entertainment, the other from stand-up—finding common ground in passion, persistence, the agony of bombing, and the thrill of making a crowd erupt. Whether you’re a wrestling fanatic, a comedy nerd, or simply someone who’s ever failed big and tried again, this is essential, entertaining listening.