Episode 1683 - Mark Flanagan

Summary

WTF with Marc Maron – Episode 1683: Mark Flanagan

Release Date: October 2, 2025
Guest: Mark Flanagan (Owner of Largo at the Coronet)
Host: Marc Maron

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Overview

In this engaging episode, Marc Maron sits down with Mark Flanagan, the influential Irish proprietor of the legendary venue Largo at the Coronet in Los Angeles. Known simply as “Flanagan” to the comedy and music world, he is at the heart of the city’s alternative comedy and singer-songwriter scenes. Together, they delve into Flanagan’s rich history—from his harrowing childhood in Belfast during The Troubles, to creating a haven for innovative performers at Largo. Their wide-ranging conversation is full of nostalgia, personal anecdotes, and reflections on building artistic community.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Flanagan’s Early Life: Belfast and The Troubles

[14:11–22:14]

• Growing Up Amid Violence:

  • Flanagan shares vivid memories of the chaos in Belfast during The Troubles, where bombings and political strife were everyday realities.
    • “When I was eight years of age…there was 2,600 bombs detonated in Belfast, and Belfast is smaller than Anaheim.” (16:23, Flanagan)
  • His father was kidnapped and used in a getaway, cementing the family’s decision to leave.

• Escaping Conflict:

  • The family’s relocation to Sligo, a rural part of Ireland, came with its own challenges of assimilation and suspicion.
    • “We look out the back window, and in 25ft lettering, it says, 'brits out.'” (22:14, Flanagan)

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2. Music, Medicine, and the Move to America

[23:24–29:36]

• Academic Background:

  • Studied medicine and psychology in Dublin, eventually earning a scholarship to Harvard to study advancements in autism.

• Musical Passion:

  • A lifelong obsession with music and jazz fuels his desire to leave Ireland.
  • Recalls being inspired by jazz DJs who played Coltrane, Pharaoh Sanders, and Herbie Hancock on Irish radio.
    • “Listening to Pharaoh Sanders, Alice Coltrane, Freddy Hubbard…I’m like, I gotta be in America.” (27:24, Flanagan)

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3. Immersing in American Music & Club Culture

[29:43–32:35]

• Boston Years:
  • Lived near the Brattle in Cambridge, worked at Metro, spent weekends at New York’s Village Vanguard to see jazz legends.
  • Saw acts like Sinead O’Connor, Leonard Cohen, and, in his student days, attended pivotal early concerts (like The Smiths in Dublin).

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4. Founding Largo: Trials, Triumphs, and Philosophy

[32:35–56:08]

• Early Challenges & Vision:

  • Details the tumultuous start at Cafe Largo, revamping a supper club into a music/arts haven.
  • After a falling out with the initial owner and a stint booking acts around LA (Troubadour, Alligator Lounge), Flanagan regains control of Largo in 1996, repays debts within seven months, and establishes its DIY credibility.

• Signature Booking & Community:

  • Anchored by John Bryan, Amy Mann, Michael Penn, with frequent surprise visits from icons like Bowie and Ian Hunter.

  • Built relationships with singer-songwriters and comedians, intentionally blending music and comedy for a unique crowd.

    “I made an executive decision 10 years into it… I’m only going to book people that I like. And I don’t mean musically—can I hang with this person?” (56:57, Flanagan)

• Alternative Comedy Mecca:

  • Outlines the emergence of the “alt comedy” scene, the venues/people involved (Sarah Silverman, Patton Oswalt, Maria Bamford, Paul F. Tompkins, etc.), and how Largo became a central hub.
  • Shares stories of initial resistance from mainstream club comics, and his commitment to nurturing unique talent in a safe, supportive space.

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5. Behind the Scenes: Protecting and Fostering Artists

[56:57–59:03]

• Artist Care:
  • Emphasizes the importance of reading performers’ energy backstage and protecting their creative space.
    • “What do you need? Get out of the way...” (57:00, Flanagan)
  • Illustrates with tales of keeping boisterous visitors away and ensuring privacy for artists like Sarah Silverman as they prep.

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6. Legendary Performances, Community, and the Largo Mystique

[59:03–66:01]

• Unforgettable Moments:

  • Comedic and musical history unfolds—including wild stories like Marc Maron getting tackled on stage by an upset audience member (66:24–69:36).
  • Tales of theft, celebrity encounters (David Lynch, Paul Thomas Anderson, Tarantino), and how Largo is a place where “you better have a plan—the [big names] are sitting there.” (71:34, Flanagan)

• Legacy and Ownership:

  • Flanagan discusses resisting expansion and TV offers in order to retain Largo’s unique vibe: “I can only put my ass in one saddle.” (66:21, Maron)
  • Contemplates succession and hopes to leave an infrastructure for creative community if he ever steps aside.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Irish Resilience and Art:

  • “The artist community, they all went to Paris. Like, we all leave.” (21:09, Flanagan)

• Why Medicine Wasn’t the Answer:

  • “If you live long enough, everyone’s gonna be taking medicine. And medicine is good…but as a human being, you wanna believe, like, I can kick it, I can do it.” (06:30, Maron)

• On Largo’s Booking Philosophy:

  • “I want to mix comedy, music, but new stuff…so there’s a patience, but there’s also an applaud because they’re like, you’re fucking trying.” (55:04, Flanagan)

• The Power of Jokes:

  • Paraphrasing Liz Phair via Patton Oswalt: “The finest kind of joke is ‘obnoxious, funny, true and mean.’” (08:36)

• Recalling a Legendary Tackle:

  • “He lunged out of the audience and tackled me…all I remember thinking is, like, I’m not really a fighter, but I can’t run.” (67:32, Maron)

• On Stage and Community Care:

  • “I’m very protective…if I don’t do that, then I’m gone. That’s why I never opened a place in New York—because I wouldn’t be there.” (66:01, Flanagan)

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Important Timestamps

• Flanagan’s Childhood & Troubles: [14:11–22:14]
• Move to Ireland, then U.S.: [22:14–29:36]
• Jazz & Music Stories: [27:24–29:36]
• Cafe Largo/Largo Origins: [32:35–36:34]
• Revival and Rise of Largo: [36:34–56:08]
• Comedians and Alt-Scene at Largo: [45:03–50:23]
• Notable Shows & Incidents:
  • Maron tackled by audience member: [66:24–69:36]
  • Artist care backstage: [56:57–59:03]
• Ownership, Succession, Community: [62:51–66:01]

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Tone & Style Highlights

The conversation moves naturally from humorously bleak anecdotes to philosophical musings, retaining its signature blend of casual openness, honesty, and supportive camaraderie. There is a palpable sense of nostalgia, reverence for artistic risk, and playful jabs—a real “insider’s” peek into an influential artistic ecosystem.

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Summary for New Listeners

This episode is an essential listen for fans of comedy, alternative performance scenes, and the LA creative community. Through his conversation with Marc, Mark Flanagan emerges as both an architect and protector of a vital artistic space, weaving tales of survival, community, and invention. Listeners are taken from post-war Belfast to the smoky clubs of Boston and finally to the luminous stage at Largo—a haven where risk, experimentation, and camaraderie continue to thrive.

For more: Visit largo-la.com for current show listings and event information.

Transcript

[Mark Flanagan]

Lock the gate.

[Marc Maron]

All right, let's do this a few more times. How are you?

[Mark Flanagan]

What the fuckers?

[Marc Maron]

What the buddies? What the nicks? What's happening? I'm Marc Maron. This is my podcast. Welcome to it. How's everybody doing? I am actually a. A little under the weather, of course, after the stress of everything converging on a point here. And that layered with the cat chaos I deal with daily. And that layered with trying to do some new material. And that layered with, I don't know, my recent doctor's visit. It's a lot. It's just life. I know I'm not special in the stress, but it has been ongoing. And I think I just blew a gasket here. Got a little under the weather. No vid, though. No vid, no Covid. What are you going to do? I guess the weather changed. The big shift in summer to fall in L. A. It's like a four degree shift, but it's chilly in the morning and maybe it doesn't get into the 90s and we're like, who put on your sweaters? Come on, it's fall. It's 78. What are you doing? Get out your long johns. So listen, folks, today I'm going to talk to Mark Flanagan, better known as Flanagan. He is the owner and proprietor of Largo at the Coronet. Right now, here in Los Angeles, you hear a lot of people mention Largo. You hear a lot of people here mention Flanagan. At times, he's like the hub. He's like the center of the wheel in some ways. He's got a lot of stories, got an interesting background. He's an Irish dude, but he is integral to a certain part of the comedy scene in this city. And I would say internationally and also music. And I figured here we're on our way out. This guy is a guy I talk to a lot. I work at his club a lot. And I go way back with the world of Largo to some degree. Certainly now I play there a lot. Early on, I found it very intimidating. It was sort of at the beginning of. In terms of comedy, it was kind of really one of the mainstays at the beginning of alternative comedy and also a mainstay of music. Singer, songwriter type of music. So he's. Here I am back at Dynasty Typewriter here in Los Angeles for two shows in October. That's Saturday, October 11, and Friday, October 17. Nice place. Seats under 200. Intimate situation. These are gonna be more along the lines of riffing through stuff. See what I've see what's on my mind, what I'm coming up with. So it's definitely a workshop situation, but people enjoy that. They like seeing it at the beginning and then seeing how it comes together. You can go to wtfpod.com tour for tickets. There's also a couple of Largo dates there. There are special screenings around the country of the documentary Are We Good? It opens tomorrow, October 3rd in New York and Los Angeles, albeit screenings here in LA on Friday at the Alamo Drafthouse and the AMC Americana down the street, my local theater. Then at the Vancouver Film Festival on Sunday. Back in LA at the Arrow Theater next Friday, October 10th for the American Cinema Tech presentation of Are We Good? And me and Steve Fineharts are doing a moderated conversation with Larry Charles has stepped up to handle that. This is also the last chance to be part of the Kickstarter pre order for the graphic novel WTF is a podcast and we're all still trying to get everyone who orders a framed set of four WTF trading cards. If we pass 250 grand, go to Z2Comics.com/WTF. And yeah, that's the business. That is the business. So let's, let's layer it up here a little bit. First of all, I didn't mean to drop that. I, you know, I went to the, the doctor's office and get a physical. I didn't mean to sort of suggest anything other than that being plant based for two and a half years has not significantly changed my LDL cholesterol. And that's, you know, that's kind of a, you know, that's kind of a punch in the gut because you don't, you don't want to take medicine and you don't want to believe that you can't just fix it. It's a weird thing with medicine. I think it's at the core of people's. One of the reasons that people are so tripped out about vaccines in general is that you don't want to take medicine. But I gotta be honest with you, if you live long enough, everyone's gonna be taking medicine. And medicine is good. It is life sustaining, it is life saving. But as a human being, you wanna believe, like, I can kick it, I can do it. I don't know what that is. I don't know if it's ego or pride or just not wanting to feel like you're compromised physically somehow. So now the big question is, do I just start eating fucking meat again? Do I start, do I get on that statin and just, you know, load up on ribs, roast chicken, you know, salmon. The answer is that is not the plan. Because through being plant based, I have gotten a sensitivity to the sort of realities of consuming animals. And some of it is to the realities of consuming mistreated, overmedicated, you know, sad animals. You're eating a lot of sadness, you're eating a lot of fear. You're eating a lot of just brutal killing. It goes in, man, it go, you know, it's all in there. The poetry is in the DNA of the frightened animal. So that's not the plan. And when I do think about eating something that might be good for me in terms of meat, it's always canned fish. I don't know what that is. I think that's some deep juice shit. Always canned fish. Okay, so Flanagan, who I'm going to talk to, has been the guy at Largo. And early on, before I lived here, you know, I would fly out and Largo was the hip fucking place to do comedy. It was the sort of the, the beginning of the alt scene. You got your Dana Goulds, you got your Proops, you got your Pattons, you got your Galifianaki, you've got your Paul F. Tompkins, you've got your Maria's Bamfords, you got your Garoffs. And, you know, it was the scene. And I would come in from my, from New York with my attitude and my club chops and, you know, also being a defender of the New York alt scene at Luna. And I was, I found it all very intimidating over there. And I never really had a great attitude. I'm still a little weird around sort of alti audiences, though all comedy doesn't really exist anymore. I am still like, you know, I'm like, come on. I'm, you know, at heart I'm just a dirty club guy. But, you know, obviously that's not true. It's just part of my training and part of me lives there. But, you know, I'm as much in the, the nerd NPR world as I am the filthy club world. I try to keep active in all the different worlds that represent all the. The spectrum of me from dirty to thoughtful to dirty thoughtful. I seem to have disrupted the, the helped disrupt the comedy world, mildly with my joke about Riyadh. The weird thing about setting something on fire in that way is that it was a joke and it is kind of exciting on some level when a joke, you know, has resonance and actually has a bit of an edge to it and does provoke, you know, Something either, you know, political or just hypocrisy or, or what have you. I mean, that seems to be the power of a joke. Because I told a joke and started the whole world crying. What did, what did. Like Patton. I was texting with Patton about these jokes and he had a thing that. Let me see if I can find it on my telephone. He quoted Liz Fair. The finest kind of joke is quote, obnoxious, funny, true and mean. Thank you, Liz. Via Patton. Yeah, I mean, look, you know, I'm just, I'm just doing my funnies. Can I just do my funnies? Okay, so look, this talk with Flanagan is a first conversation with me. I'll be honest with you. I. I wasn't even. I wasn't even sure what his first name was. And it's the same as mine. He's just Flanagan to all of us. And he's got quite a story. So you can get tickets and info about all the shows coming up at Largo by going to largo-la.com. and this is me talking to Mark Flanagan. So what's going on? What's in the bag?

[Mark Flanagan]

Oh, this is your presents. This is your birthday present. First of all, look at that one.

[Marc Maron]

Oh, great.

[Mark Flanagan]

You'll say you're not a medium, but you're a fucking medium.

[Marc Maron]

I'm a medium?

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

Oh, that's beautiful, isn't it? Yeah. It's your fucking. That's your exiled stones.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

I love it.

[Mark Flanagan]

Okay, so the second one.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

Is a really, really inspiring book that I read. And your brother will know who Roger Federer is. You, you probably don't. One of the greatest tennis players of all time. Oh yeah. It's not about him.

[Marc Maron]

Oh really?

[Mark Flanagan]

It's about knowing. It's about endings, about career endings. Nietzsche's in there. Jack Kerouac's in there. You're going to love this.

[Marc Maron]

Those are great career endings.

[Mark Flanagan]

Well, no, I know, but some of them are tragic.

[Marc Maron]

But one in an institution.

[Mark Flanagan]

But he talks about Dylan, about the ever non ending tour, you know? All right, so. And then the third thing.

[Marc Maron]

That's very nice.

[Mark Flanagan]

You know what that is?

[Marc Maron]

A blood pressure monitor.

[Mark Flanagan]

Yeah. What's it called?

[Marc Maron]

I know it. I don't. I hate you. I hate you.

[Mark Flanagan]

Sigmo Manometer.

[Marc Maron]

Did you know that?

[Mark Flanagan]

Yeah. You should have fucking called me.

[Marc Maron]

I should. I didn't.

[Mark Flanagan]

I went to. I studied medicine.

[Marc Maron]

That was so embarrassing, dude.

[Mark Flanagan]

But you know why you want this? Because of your birthday.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

Is you go to the doctor, right. You. There's a thing called white coat Hypertension, which. You go there and you.

[Marc Maron]

I just got a checkup.

[Mark Flanagan]

I know, but your blood pressure is. You. When you go to the Doctor, generally, it's 30 up, like your systolic.

[Marc Maron]

No, my blood pressure is sweet.

[Mark Flanagan]

Good.

[Marc Maron]

The only good thing that's sweet, keep this.

[Mark Flanagan]

And at the most calm part of your day, put that on your arm.

[Marc Maron]

It's like 125 over 70. Something.

[Mark Flanagan]

That's excellent.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

Because it should be 140.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Marc Maron]

No, I got. I. I got good blood pressure. It's just the cholesterol and then the testosterone I got to get.

[Mark Flanagan]

But you and Sarah on that program. And I watched it live.

[Marc Maron]

It was funny, right?

[Mark Flanagan]

It was great. It was great.

[Marc Maron]

I wish we could have gone longer. I felt. I felt like I let her down. I felt like she was like Mark.

[Mark Flanagan]

Smart, and she was very nervous. I mean, you were very. You were quiet because you were like, oh, what the fuck?

[Marc Maron]

Yeah. I don't like losing. Yeah, I know.

[Mark Flanagan]

And also, you don't want to look stupid either. Yeah.

[Marc Maron]

And you get to do both.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Marc Maron]

On that show.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Marc Maron]

I just. I just went to the doctor. It's okay.

[Mark Flanagan]

I did, too.

[Marc Maron]

What'd you get?

[Mark Flanagan]

So I have an abnormal thyroid, so low thyroid. And so it's really hard to lose weight and stuff. And. And the great thing is finding out that that's what it was.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And apparently one in four men in America go with low, undiagnosed low thyroid.

[Marc Maron]

What are the symptoms of that?

[Mark Flanagan]

Freezing extremities. Your hands are cold all the time. You can't lose weight. You get really tired in the afternoon, which. Look, with two kids, everyone's tired.

[Marc Maron]

Freezing extremities.

[Mark Flanagan]

Yeah. Just really cold extremities.

[Marc Maron]

Do you have hands? Your hands tingle.

[Mark Flanagan]

You never get. You never get warm, no matter what. Backstage at Largo, it's freezing.

[Marc Maron]

I'm getting tingly hands.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Do you.

[Mark Flanagan]

Not tingly, but definitely you can feel the extremities. Like, why?

[Marc Maron]

I love. I love it when you get to a certain age. This is the conversation.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Marc Maron]

I got a friend in New Mexico. He's like, who I known since I was a kid. He's like, 10 minutes on health. That's it. Just 10.

[Mark Flanagan]

Stop.

[Marc Maron]

And then. And then we move on.

[Mark Flanagan]

Have you heard Judd's bit about it?

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

No.

[Mark Flanagan]

Being a comedian of 57 is. Is just unbearable because how do you relate to people? You talk to them about your divert. Diverticulitis.

[Marc Maron]

No. Does he have that?

[Mark Flanagan]

No, but he says he probably does.

[Marc Maron]

Oh, my God, he's only 57. How am I older than everybody? How older than you?

[Mark Flanagan]

I'm a year younger than you.

[Marc Maron]

So you're 61? Yeah, 62 yesterday. I know, I know.

[Mark Flanagan]

Happy birthday.

[Marc Maron]

So I thought, the reason that I thought this would be good for us is because, you know, Largo looms large over comedy, over show business, and over the world that I live in. And there's questions, but I also know you listen to the show all the time and you referred to a lot, but there's this whole other. It's like the history of alt show business.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

You are right.

[Marc Maron]

And my memories, like, I don't even think I know your whole name.

[Mark Flanagan]

Right.

[Marc Maron]

What is.

[Mark Flanagan]

No, it's the funniest thing. So can I tell you something really funny? Michael, my manager, said to me, you love this fucking guy.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

I went, I've gone through everything with this fucking guy, and he doesn't know I have kids.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Marc Maron]

Is that true?

[Mark Flanagan]

Yeah. So my full name is Mark Flanagan.

[Marc Maron]

No. Middle.

[Mark Flanagan]

No. Oh, well, there's. Brian is my middle name, but, I mean, that was a religious thing. So anyway, when I was a kid, yeah, Everyone called me Flanigan. Yeah, everybody.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And in fact, with the old phones, they would call my house and say, is Flanigan there? My mother would hang up.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

She'd say, there's a house full of them. Click. And they'd have to call back, is Mark there?

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

So. But then I came here.

[Marc Maron]

But wait, where'd you grow up?

[Mark Flanagan]

Belfast.

[Marc Maron]

So this, That's Northern Ireland.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

Listen, the reason I came on your podcast is to get the Brits out of Ireland and then to talk about Saudi Arabia.

[Marc Maron]

There's an agenda. We're going to fix it. Because I, like, I like, I told you I was gonna move to Ireland. And when you got here, you're like, you're not gonna find this in Ireland.

[Mark Flanagan]

Right. And you know, I hate to be. I hate to be one of these people that is like, you know, don't do this. Yeah, but you would not be happy in Ireland.

[Marc Maron]

No, of course not. I'm not gonna be happy anywhere because.

[Mark Flanagan]

It'S the Catholic government preaching down your fucking throat. They say that they don't, but they do.

[Marc Maron]

Yeah, but, But I would be like, my fantasy of it was like, I'll have a house out in the wherever, and. But I, I, I knew it was even Albuquerque.

[Mark Flanagan]

You see your fucking life going by you, and you're like, I, I need get to bike here.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

But isn't everyone leaving hopefully, right I love it here.

[Marc Maron]

All the young actors don't live here.

[Mark Flanagan]

Well, good.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And we don't need them. Give us less traffic. But no, honestly, I feel. I honestly joke and say, but I mean it. Like, I'm looking for a good quake to lose a few thousand people.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Marc Maron]

Well, you might lose the whole coastline. The fires didn't seem to chase anybody out.

[Mark Flanagan]

No, but. But, but, no. I grew up in Belfast, so that's. That's where I'm from.

[Marc Maron]

But so, like, when you were growing up, it was. Was rough.

[Mark Flanagan]

Horrible, horrible.

[Marc Maron]

I can't even.

[Mark Flanagan]

That's why we left.

[Marc Maron]

But I can't even imagine, Like, I have no sense of it other than a few movies of just how fucking awful it was.

[Mark Flanagan]

Do you know how often I explain to people what it. Cause people here are just like. They don't know where it is. They go, northern Ireland. Is that near Iceland? Is it cold? I mean, really, I'm not kidding.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

But.

[Mark Flanagan]

But I explained to people that basically. And this is not just my perspective.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

The British invaded and never left. They left southern Ireland. There's 32 counties and six of them are Northern Ireland.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And so I was born in 64, and they were supposed to be out of Northern Ireland. There was an agreement that, you know, after.

[Marc Maron]

So is that post Troubles?

[Mark Flanagan]

No, this is Troubles. So this is Troubles. Okay. So 1917, the IRA kicked the Brits out of Ireland. Michael Con you All the you.

[Marc Maron]

I saw that movie. Liam Neeson, he did a pretty good job.

[Mark Flanagan]

He did a really good job. But the best movie about the Troubles is In the Name of the Father with Danny Day Lewis. So accurate. It's uncanny. Like, it's from the corner, you know.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

Kenneth Branagh's Belfast. I call it Clean Streets. It's horrible. It's nothing close to the truth. It's. Fuck it. I've never seen streets so clean in Belfast. Right. So. But anyway, you grow up in Belfast, and it was When I was eight years of age, it was 1972, there was 2,600 bombs detonated in Belfast, and Belfast is smaller than Anaheim.

[Marc Maron]

By the Irish.

[Mark Flanagan]

Well, mostly by the Irish.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

But then there would be retaliatory ones by the Protestants, which is British.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And I just want. And it would feel like it would never end. And so when my kids and people ask me about, like, oh, Trump and this fucking shit.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

You know it'll end.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah, maybe.

[Mark Flanagan]

No, you think it's not going to end. And it ends. It always ends. And it doesn't end well. Maybe not well, but it doesn't. Well, it doesn't end well for people like Trump.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Marc Maron]

I was sort of encouraged that it's fortunate that there we don't have to get too much into politics that, you know, he surrounded himself with real buffoons.

[Mark Flanagan]

But he is a buffoon. I know. And he's a bully.

[Marc Maron]

But all these people he put in charge are incapable.

[Mark Flanagan]

That's right.

[Marc Maron]

Of the job. Like that thing with Kimmel worked out pretty fucking good. That was a pretty big deal.

[Mark Flanagan]

He deserves it.

[Marc Maron]

Of course he deserves it. But the idea that even the dumbest guy who's addicted to conspiracy theories can make two clicks to realize that he was strong armed.

[Mark Flanagan]

Right.

[Marc Maron]

And it was so lazy and fucked up. And then the affiliates take him back because that's the way business works.

[Mark Flanagan]

Yeah, that's it. It's all business.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Marc Maron]

And it makes you wonder about all those other times where people threaten to take people off the air is that they're gonna put em back on because of the way cable and agreements work.

[Mark Flanagan]

Yeah, that's it. It's money. It's money, it's business.

[Marc Maron]

But, but it, it was. I'm glad everybody stepped up.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Marc Maron]

But so you're saying when you're growing up that it was terrifying all the time in, in a way that we don't even really understand.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

Because I'll tell you, just to give you an idea of it. Like it was every single night there'd be bombs. And anytime my parents in Ireland, in, in Belfast.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

Specifically there was another. There's another great town in Northern Ireland called Derry. And I say towns cuz they're not cities. And it's. Listen, the population is, it's small. It's not like it's very, It's a small area.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

But Belfast, the reason Belfast was targeted is because that's where the Titanic was built. We built a good ship, you know. But the thing is that was the shipbuilding capital of the world for the Second World War, for the first World War.

[Marc Maron]

And that's why the British wanted it.

[Mark Flanagan]

That's one they wanted. And then Northern Ireland in general was the linen business. That's where the sheep. That was, you know, way before New Zealand and everything else. This was the linen capital. So they moved in there and they were like, we're not leaving here, take it. Yeah, it's our money.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

So yeah, I grew up with that. And then every night there'd be bombs and you'd just be like terrified if you had a babysitter and your parents were Out. You were like, oh, are they gonna come back?

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And we went on with that for years.

[Marc Maron]

And how many kids in your family?

[Mark Flanagan]

Four kids in my family.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Marc Maron]

Small. That's small Irish.

[Mark Flanagan]

It was a small. It really was a small. Two boys, two girls. But my mom was the greatest person ever. But she was a nurse at the City Hospital in Belfast in the 60s.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

Like, I mean, the shit that she wouldn't talk about it.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Marc Maron]

And when did you. When what were you doing, like that made you leave the whole family?

[Mark Flanagan]

Yeah. So there was a series of events that happened that my father worked for the government. He worked for the health department. And he was like a business management guy. He would go in, into hospitals and go, we're going to do this with you. But he would not cuts, but he would say, this is how you manage, you know, this is how you get a budget. And he was kidnapped. We don't know if it was the. The Protestants or the Catholics.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

To use his car as a getaway. So he. He was driving in the rain, coming home, and a hitchhiker was on the side of the road and it was pouring rain. He's like, fuck. He stopped and give this guy a ride. Guy held a gun to him, got him out of the car, put him in the trunk of the car and literally like the, you know, Goodfellas or what it is. Shot a hole so he could breathe.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And then they used the car to do whatever they did.

[Marc Maron]

And he was him in the truck.

[Mark Flanagan]

Yeah. For two days. Holy. And my mother was like, okay, well, this is it.

[Marc Maron]

We're gonna go.

[Mark Flanagan]

I mean. But then her uncle, we have bars, and my family, her side of the family have a bar called Lavrey's in Belfast, and it's the most famous bar in Belfast. And her uncle died carrying a. A device out to save people. He. You know, there was a. They called and said, there's a bomb in your back backstory. So he carried on. He blew up. Oh, my God. And my mom loved this guy. And she was like, fucking. This is so.

[Marc Maron]

The body count was big.

[Mark Flanagan]

Big non stop. Like, just non stop. And, you know, I'm sure I. If family members listen to this, they'd be like, oh, you know, because I'm not making any of this up.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

But they just don't. They just repressed it.

[Marc Maron]

Sure.

[Mark Flanagan]

And in order to live there, they're just like, no, it's gotten better.

[Marc Maron]

Well, that's what people do.

[Mark Flanagan]

I don't forget. No, no, I don't forget.

[Marc Maron]

But I mean, that. I mean, like, I, I this. I guess the spirit of the Irish people is pretty beaten sometimes, and they seem to kind of keep moving on. I don't want to generalize.

[Mark Flanagan]

Yeah, no, but there is generalizing. But, like, say, the artist community, they all went to Paris. Like, we all leave.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

You know.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Marc Maron]

But I do think people adapt and they try to make it okay.

[Mark Flanagan]

That's right.

[Marc Maron]

And that's what's happening here, too, now.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

But.

[Mark Flanagan]

But the reason I bring this, I'm not trying to be, you know, be hopeful for everybody. But the thing is, we thought this would never leave and that or never end. And then when we left, it was worse because we're like. Every time we heard something, we're like, is our family okay? Because when you're there, you can kind of like, check.

[Marc Maron]

Is still a family there.

[Mark Flanagan]

Oh, yeah. They're all there.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

My two sisters live on the east.

[Marc Maron]

Coast, so you have to. How old were you when everyone left?

[Mark Flanagan]

We left. I was 12 when we left Belfast, but we went to a place called Sligo, which was William Butler Yates country. That's where he's from. That's where he, you know, I mean, that's where he was buried and everything else.

[Marc Maron]

It's pretty.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And we were told, there you go. And we had an aunt there. So it was like, we have somebody to go to. But it was. It's another country.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

So we go there and we think this is going to be safe. And we get this rental house, and it's. I mean, couldn't be more beautiful. And we look out the back window, and where Yates is buried is there's a mountain called Ben Bulbin. And he's.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And he wrote a poem about it.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

I mean, of course. I mean, look. And Glencarr, all these. They're all there.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

We look out the back window, and in 25ft lettering, it says, brits out. And we're like, what the.

[Marc Maron]

Can't get out?

[Mark Flanagan]

And then. So half the people were suspicious that we were going to start. Shit.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And the other half were convinced we're on the run. And we were on the run.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

But we didn't do anything.

[Marc Maron]

Right.

[Mark Flanagan]

So trying to assimilate with these people was. And. And they. It was like the 50s. This is the 80s. But it was like the 50s.

[Marc Maron]

Actually it was the 70s in terms of the feeling of segregation.

[Mark Flanagan]

Yeah. Just isolated. They, you know, I mean, way before cell phones and Internet.

[Marc Maron]

But it's tricky when. When you all look the same.

[Mark Flanagan]

Right. But, but that's. You see, that's the other thing.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

My mother could tell a Protestant from a Catholic looking at them.

[Marc Maron]

Really?

[Mark Flanagan]

And when we go to Northern Irish people are better looking than Irish people.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

You know, better dental care, better health care.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

You know.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And we, we, we took what we could from the Brits, the good stuff, you know, we're like, okay, you get good hospitals.

[Marc Maron]

Right.

[Mark Flanagan]

But my mom was a nurse, so we were taken care of, you know. But then you go to Sligo and you see people like, no teeth. And you're like, oh, are you going to get new teeth?

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Why?

[Mark Flanagan]

Very rural. I mean, like beyond rural. Albuquerque. This is like what the people with carts and donkeys on the road.

[Marc Maron]

But. So you moved there when you're 12. When do you end up in the States?

[Mark Flanagan]

So. Oh, no, until after college. So went to Dublin to study medicine and psychology.

[Marc Maron]

Now what happened there?

[Mark Flanagan]

I did.

[Marc Maron]

You go all through four years, medicine, psychology.

[Mark Flanagan]

I did five years. I did an extra year. And I was waiting my time to get an opportunity in America. And then I got this scholarship to come over to Boston to study and it was through Harvard.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yes.

[Mark Flanagan]

I was. It was advancements in the study of autism. And I loved it.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

But I really just wanted to come here. I wanted to come here cuz I'm obsessed with music and I was like, that's where it is always. That's always.

[Marc Maron]

What were you seeing in Ireland coming up?

[Mark Flanagan]

I mean, you know, all the stuff. It was when you did, when you played at Lara the night you did Jumping in the Shadows, sitting there watching you. I was like, oh, I saw Peter Green in 1984 and he had a band called Colors with a K. Yeah. And he did Jumping in the Shadows. He did. And the first six songs, I was like, I. I think I need to leave. This is horrifying. Was.

[Marc Maron]

Well, he was in bad shape.

[Mark Flanagan]

He had a big robe on, like a big.

[Marc Maron]

Yeah, well, that was. I think that's right when they pulled him out of the hole.

[Mark Flanagan]

Yeah. But. But listen, halfway through it, they're. They're doing, you know, these new songs and Womanizer is one of the songs and it just sounds like the same old stuff that he was doing. And then he did man of the World.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And I mean, one of the greatest songs of all time. But it was like we were all like, oh, we can't leave now. We, we. We're in it with him. And then suddenly he does Jumping in the Shadows. And it was like they literally jump in the shadows.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah, yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And he was great.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

You know, but then the next night I saw Stevie Ray Vaughan and I.

[Marc Maron]

Was like, oh, yeah, the new is here.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

No, but not just the flashiness, but like. I mean, a guy in his height and I didn't see the mic in a little. I didn't see Peter Green at his height, you know. No, no. Yeah, no. You know, but anyways, like, U2. U2 were hated in Ireland until they made it in America. Look at those fucking. Fucking jackasses.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah, yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And I hated the name U2 when I saw the posters for War and Boy and all these things. Like, you two couldn't do better than that.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

Because there was UB40, there was all these bands then, you know. But I was a huge jazz fan, so.

[Marc Maron]

What about Rory Gallagher?

[Mark Flanagan]

The greatest, did you say? I mean, I hate to say the gr. Yes. Many, many times. Yeah, many times. And I mean, just an anomaly. He was like. He was like Peter Green. But he's the most entertaining person you could ever see, really. And. And the thing about Rory Gallaher and Van Morrison is they're both from Ireland, but they're the only people that played there. Like, when we grew up, nobody would play Belfast because we'd either get cancelled or bombed.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

So. But Van would make an effort, but Rory would just didn't give a fuck. He'd play at the college, he'd play Queen's University. And you'd go to see him and it was always very cheap. You'd make sure the tickets were cheap.

[Marc Maron]

Right.

[Mark Flanagan]

Because he never made any money.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

He just wanted to play.

[Marc Maron]

It's taken me so long to come around to him.

[Mark Flanagan]

His band Taste are worth going back. That was what he started with and it was around the time of Cream. So it's similar, but, like, the guitar tones are just insane.

[Marc Maron]

Well, also, he just. He puts all that sort of. He definitely puts an Irish twist on.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

But, you know, around the time of U2, I was listening to a band called Planxty, which you've never heard of, but they're the greatest Irish band ever. And it's instrumental mostly.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

So it's Christy Moore. Have you ever heard of him? He's like the Dylan of Ireland. He's a songwriter, he's a protest singer. He's incredible guy.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

He started this band with three other guys and one of them was a mandolin bouzouki player. The other guy's a mandolin player. It's all acoustic instruments and then an Ilian pipes Which is the Irish version of the Bag Patch.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And these, you'd go to see these people.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

It would be mayhem.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

Because like, it's the Brits. The Brits get them out. It wasn't all that, but it was like the Dubliners and other bands did that. But it was the most beautiful music. And I still listen to it. It's just.

[Marc Maron]

And they never left Ireland.

[Mark Flanagan]

Never left Ireland, Never made it anywhere else.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And then ultimately just broke up.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Marc Maron]

And now they're just gone.

[Mark Flanagan]

But there was. Yeah, there was bands like that, but it was really difficult back then because you could get Neil Diamond's Greatest Hits and Simon Garfunkel's Greatest Hits. But trying to find Cool Train.

[Marc Maron]

Right. Was tough when you were like, what, 15 or something?

[Mark Flanagan]

When I was really into it.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

But like you, there was always the reason I was drawn to your podcast. Not just cuz I love you, I know you. But it was like there was a.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

A.

[Mark Flanagan]

A DJ called Dave Fanning.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

Who was huge in. In Ireland, but there was another guy that would play jazz at night time.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And it was just be like, it would be Coltrane, Hurley Hancock, Pharaoh Sanders. And I was like, this is it. And that's honestly that listening to Pharaoh Sanders, Alice Coltrane, Freddy Hubbard. I'm like, I gotta be in America.

[Marc Maron]

It was because of that.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And it was 20 years too late.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

You know.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Marc Maron]

But I mean, everyone was too late on jazz. People are still too late. You're always too late on jazz.

[Mark Flanagan]

Right.

[Marc Maron]

Cause like, when you start to, like, get into it, you're like, it's a very deep rabbit hole, but there's still.

[Mark Flanagan]

A few souls out there. There's a guy called Dino. Brad Melda.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Marc Maron]

He was at your place, right?

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Marc Maron]

Well, yeah, someone turned me on to him. He's great. No, there's guys out there.

[Mark Flanagan]

Yeah. That like, I got you McBride, you know, and Julian Lodge, the Lage, the guitar player. I mean, they're doing really great stuff.

[Marc Maron]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, well, down was is over there at Blue Note and they were sending me stuff. I can't remember who turned me on to that Meldog guy, but it was recently.

[Mark Flanagan]

Well, the great thing about him is he's kind of known as, you know, like the Bill Evans of our time. But he does like a Radiohead song and you just be like, I don't know necessarily. I'm not saying I do. But you may not be into Radiohead and you hear him doing it and you're like, oh, yeah, you know, he.

[Marc Maron]

Finds it and he just did a.

[Mark Flanagan]

Record of Elliot Smith songs and they played back in. In the old Largo together. And so it took him this long to kind of get over it and go, really? I want to pay tribute to this guy 20 years later.

[Marc Maron]

So, okay, so you come here.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Marc Maron]

You're looking for the jazz life.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Marc Maron]

You're studying autism?

[Mark Flanagan]

No, I'm studying psychology. So the idea was I was going to do either a Master's or a PhD in psychology.

[Marc Maron]

Do you feel that that helped you in your life? Of course.

[Mark Flanagan]

Dealing with you.

[Marc Maron]

All of us.

[Mark Flanagan]

I was thinking about Paul's movie, One Battle After Another. And I was thinking, I'm Benicio and you're Leo.

[Marc Maron]

Oh, that's funny.

[Mark Flanagan]

Ocean waves, Bob. Ocean waves. And you're. What fucking time is it? What time is it?

[Marc Maron]

Yeah, how long is it going to go on for?

[Mark Flanagan]

Is this the fuck. Am I still here?

[Marc Maron]

Yeah, I wish I wasn't. Still crazy.

[Mark Flanagan]

I think if you weren't.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

It wouldn't be on the stage.

[Marc Maron]

Yeah, I guess so.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

So anyway, long story short, I go to Boston. Didn't like Boston. I mean, just knew that, you know what it was? It was the thyroid. Going back to the thyroid. Why am I so fucking cold all the time? It was either too cold or too hot.

[Marc Maron]

In Boston it was freezing.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

So I came out here on a whim three years into. I was in Boston for three years. Came out here.

[Marc Maron]

Where are you living in Boston?

[Mark Flanagan]

In Park Drive First, Right. By the regatta or the battle, or what was it called there? What was the little cinema in Cambridge?

[Marc Maron]

Brattle. The Brattle in Cambridge? Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

Right around the corner from there.

[Marc Maron]

I saw Spalding Gray there.

[Mark Flanagan]

Yeah. And this was a student's. Harvard students thing. I did that. And then I still did all this, but I worked Monday nights at. It was called Metro at the time. And it's right beside the club.

[Marc Maron]

Yeah, yeah, I remember that place.

[Mark Flanagan]

And it's over.

[Marc Maron]

It's near Lansdowne.

[Mark Flanagan]

Yeah, Lansdowne Street.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yep, yep.

[Marc Maron]

They had. What were the other ones there?

[Mark Flanagan]

There was Axis.

[Marc Maron]

Yeah, Axis was the kind of alt points.

[Mark Flanagan]

And then they changed the name 100 fucking times.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

You know, but. But Metro was the place. And I saw Sinead. Leonard Cohen played there. They would do small things, like at the beginning of a tour.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

Which was what Ireland always was. I saw the first Smiths show in Dublin because they would start the tours there going, let's work it out. Yeah, let's just. They'll take anything.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

But it would be great.

[Marc Maron]

You can just rehearse.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

Metro. Listen, my favorite club. While I was in Boston, every weekend I went to the Village Vanguard down in New York.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And that's.

[Marc Maron]

You would drive down and take the train.

[Mark Flanagan]

I would take the train the whole way down. It was the fucking best. And whatever homework I had to do, I would do it on the train.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And I would take Friday afternoons off and try to go in as late as possible on Monday.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And I would go down and it's like cheap fucking places I go there. And there's another place called Sweet Basil. Were you around for that?

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah, yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

McCoy Tyner would play there. Gil Evans Big Band on Mondays.

[Marc Maron]

You're picking these guys up in their. In their dotage.

[Mark Flanagan]

Not really. I mean, some of them, yes, but Gil Evans was, like, fucking ferocious in the 70s, you know?

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And. But it wasn't big people like Miles and Dizzy Gillespie and people, you know, who were definitely on their dotage at that point. But I was seeing Freddie Hubbard, Lester.

[Marc Maron]

Bowie blasting it out.

[Mark Flanagan]

I mean, fucking unbelievable. And all these guys that were one part of Miles Band or one part of cool kids band, like sonny Fortune.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

McCoy Tyne, Elvin Jones.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Marc Maron]

You saw him?

[Mark Flanagan]

Oh, many times. You know. But anyway, the thing is, I go back and I'm like, I'm gonna. I'm going. That is why I'm going to America, right?

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

I came back and they turned it into a fucking comedy club to catch a rising star.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And I'm not kidding you, because I honestly have a photographic memory. I can remember when. When we first met. I can remember certain things. I think there was that guy, Kevin Meaney. Kevin Meaney was headlining. And there was a ginger guy on the thing. I think it was Louis.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Ah, two.

[Marc Maron]

It's probably too early.

[Mark Flanagan]

No? 88.

[Marc Maron]

Oh.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Maybe.

[Marc Maron]

But was he a kid?

[Mark Flanagan]

Yeah, but he had a full head of hair. And I was thinking, this guy's fucking funny.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah, yeah. You know? Yeah, yeah.

[Marc Maron]

88. Yeah, I was there.

[Mark Flanagan]

I know. I was there. 88. And then I came out here late 91 and then moved here in 92.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Huh.

[Mark Flanagan]

So I drove across the country, thinking I might go to New Orleans and I can still finish my education from there. I got there and it was the most humid bean ever. And I was like, okay, this is not it.

[Marc Maron]

It's rough there.

[Mark Flanagan]

Then I came here and I'm not kidding. I arrived in the middle of January.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And it was 75 degrees. And I was like, I I can't go back to Boston. And then.

[Marc Maron]

What year is this?

[Mark Flanagan]

This is 1990. Late 91.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

92. A friend of mine says a friend of mine's opening this place. It's called Cafe Largo.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And he needs somebody to fucking book the music. He didn't realize it was a venue. And you're so into music. I said, I don't know anyone here. What are you talking about? And he goes, just meet with him. So we went. And who was that guy? His name was Fergus. He's now an undertaker in the Palm Desert area somewhere. He was a disaster. He ran it for. Do you remember La Dome?

[Marc Maron]

Wait, there's the original Largo on Fairfax.

[Mark Flanagan]

On Fairfax, where you performed the supper club.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And it was called Cafe Largo. And we changed the name to just to Largo.

[Marc Maron]

But. So he brings you in, you meet with him about booking about.

[Mark Flanagan]

He was about to take it over. There was an Italian and a French guy. The French guy started Luna Park.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

Anyway, they were fighting. It was a restaurant.

[Marc Maron]

The restaurant.

[Mark Flanagan]

Yeah, they were fighting.

[Marc Maron]

Was that in the Bay Area first, or. No, it was here.

[Mark Flanagan]

I'm not sure.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

But anyway, they're gone too. But. But anyway, he started this place and he invited me to come see one of the music things. And it was pouring rain. I'll never forget it. And I went in and. Grant Lee, Buffalo. Do you remember that band?

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah, yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

I mean, it was like seeing you two in a fucking. In a post office. Like, he's a good guitar player, that guy. Incredible. Yeah, a great songwriter. But anyway, I saw them and I was like, well, the place is kind of shitty, but if the music's this good, I'm in. So I told him, I'm in, but I'll give you a year. I'll give you a year of my time. And it took about. Maybe about four months to get the license changed and everything else. I put some money into it because he needed money for the license. And I ran it for a year, and it was really, really successful. Like, it started. I mean, I had Dr. John play there. Huge axe play. This tiny fucking place.

[Marc Maron]

Like 250, maybe 130.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Wow.

[Mark Flanagan]

But it was prestigious because, you know, you'd go and people would listen.

[Marc Maron]

Well, it was. It was always like you had the food, right? And people were sitting at tables. Like a little dinner club.

[Mark Flanagan]

Yeah. But it was kind of like what I thought maybe the vanguard. And some of these jazz clubs in the 60s. Sure. Late 50s. But anyway, so I ran it for a year. And on the last night, we did a benefit for the Musicians Assistance Program.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

Which is a great organization. And there's a sax player called Buddy Arnold who I was friends with and he ran it and he booked Dr. John. And it was one of the most incredible gigs ever. Branford Marsalis.

[Marc Maron]

Really?

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

I'm sitting there going, this is it. I've done it. We had a meeting to celebrate the one year anniversary of doing this. And he goes, I want to turn it into a sports bar. And I was like, what are you talking? Big television screens and no musicians? They're a pain in the ass.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And I said, well, I'm out. I'm gone. And so for three years I thought about maybe finishing off the.

[Marc Maron]

So you were out?

[Mark Flanagan]

Gone.

[Marc Maron]

Did he make it into a sports bar?

[Mark Flanagan]

He made it into a disaster. That fucking. He got so much debt that the. And here's the crazy thing. When you asked me to do the pod, I was talking to my business manager that day and he goes, do you realize that it was 30 years ago today, when you asked me 30 years ago today, that you got Largo yourself?

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And I was like, huh?

[Marc Maron]

So wait, so you're out for three years?

[Mark Flanagan]

Three years. And I'm booking gigs at the Troubadour with John Bryan, Amy Mann, people that I built. Are you managing? I managed John Brown for a while. There's a band called Love Jones. Do you remember Love Jones?

[Marc Maron]

No.

[Mark Flanagan]

Oh, they're fucking great. Kind of lounge, but like, kind of lounge rock. The drummer was in the Lemonheads and he's the lead singer. Anyway, so Ben and. But I worked with these people and all the time I was going to court because my name was on the license of this fucking place that this guy was running into the toilet.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah, yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And so. And you know, you can get deported if you like, if there's a violation on the liquor license and you're not a. They can either put you in jail or send you home.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

You know, so it was like that was looming over my head.

[Marc Maron]

So three years. So you're booking gigs elsewhere?

[Mark Flanagan]

Alligator Lounge in Santa Monica was my. One of my spots and. But E. From the Eels like great acts and I would book great nights. And then one day I went into the court and it was 30 years ago last Friday.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Oh, really? Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And the judge says, listen, this guy, he should leave the country. He owes so much in taxes and blah, blah, blah. The only thing I can do is give you the key of this place. And I went, well, I don't have Enough money to take this place over. So it took me a while. And then. So in 96, I opened it by myself.

[Marc Maron]

So when the judge said that. What, you took it, though?

[Mark Flanagan]

Yeah, what else can you do?

[Marc Maron]

And then what'd you get? Backers.

[Mark Flanagan]

Yeah, I got backwards. I got. I got money from some friends and. And opened as fast as I could and immediately. And since then. Yeah, yeah, it's been doing great. I was out of debt within seven months.

[Marc Maron]

Really?

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah, yeah.

[Marc Maron]

And that was 90.

[Mark Flanagan]

96.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah, yeah.

[Marc Maron]

And who were like, so how did it.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

So.

[Mark Flanagan]

John Bryan, every Friday night.

[Marc Maron]

And what was the kitchen always.

[Mark Flanagan]

Always fucking going nightmare. Like, running a kitchen is not. I'm not. I mean, these shows like the Bear, I mean, I don't even think they show the fucking. Like, where the chef is drunk and doesn't show up and you're like, oh, we've got 65 reservations, you know, and.

[Marc Maron]

Who were you booking at the beginning.

[Mark Flanagan]

At the. Well, So I got really, really lucky. And 96 was kind of another boom in singer songwriters. So Michael Penn, Amy, man.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

Then Elliot Smith started showing up, but John Bryan was the anchor. He was the guy that everyone wanted to work with. He played on Friday nights.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

People like Ian Hunter from Out the Hoopa would come see him get up on stage. Bowie came like, you know, everybody came to Largo. Oh, yeah. Everybody heard about this guy. Like, they were just like, oof, the wizard. Yeah. And he still is.

[Marc Maron]

But anyway, did Bowie get on stage and sing?

[Mark Flanagan]

No, but Tim. But the best was in Hunter from Out the Hoop.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And I said, this guy does your songs. I mean, it's not just all the young dudes. He does your songs. He goes, oh, yeah, great, great. I said, would you want to sing? And he goes, what? With this guy? And I'm like, yeah. He goes, all right. And he gets up and John knew every harmony of, like, his first single. And the guy was just singing and then looking at him like, what is I. You know, I can't get my band to rehearse. And this guy knows every melody.

[Marc Maron]

Oh, it's like. It's like when John Lee Hooker played with Canned Heat on that record.

[Mark Flanagan]

Yeah.

[Marc Maron]

He's going like, you must have listened to everything I ever played because I can't lose you.

[Mark Flanagan]

Yeah. It's incredible.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

I think people forget how bluesy those Can't Heat records are. It's just nothing.

[Marc Maron]

Oh, it's the best.

[Mark Flanagan]

And the production is incredible because they.

[Marc Maron]

Were purists, but they amped it up. Right. And they did it differently than, like, Clapton or any of those guys, because they were like, fucking full blues nerds.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Marc Maron]

So the way they rocked out the blues was, like, a little more honest than the Brits, but they also.

[Mark Flanagan]

I think a lot of their production choices really helped them, like, off the mic a bit. And I get the hell in the.

[Marc Maron]

Oh, no. They were just so. They were. They were deep in it.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Marc Maron]

In a way where they weren't trying to reinvent it. But they rock so hard. I listen to them. I. I still listen. I think they don't get enough appreciation.

[Mark Flanagan]

But 96, like, so. I mean, it was incredible. Singer songwriters and then people like Colin Hay. Did you ever see Colin Hay?

[Marc Maron]

I've seen him, yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And you. You have your. No, exactly. But you have your notions of, like. Oh, yeah, the guy from Men at Work and he has a song called I Just don't think I'll ever get over you and that song. And he'll laugh, but it's true. He would do that. And I'd have to leave the building. It was so sad. And I was like, I need to get comedy in here. And this is fucking ridiculous.

[Marc Maron]

Colin. That's Colin Hayes.

[Mark Flanagan]

And he's very funny, by the way. He's like a Billy Connolly guy. He's like, tell stories that you're just crying, laughing.

[Marc Maron]

I don't know what the guy's doing there.

[Mark Flanagan]

He's doing. You know, he's down in Florida and we're talking about Billy Connelly and he's. You know, he's got Parkinson's, but it's later life. Parkinson's.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And a friend of mine who used to book him is still really good in contact. We talk all the time. And I mean, that guy is absolute. If there's a comic hero to me, that's the guy.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

He would show up in Belfast and fucking just make people die laughing.

[Marc Maron]

It's crazy to see him in his element because it's just the best.

[Mark Flanagan]

Yeah. And nothing like him. Right. I mean, you know, there's. People have tried to copy him and stuff, you know, but there was nothing. And also he was. But the thing was, he started as a musician, so he was in the band called the Humble Bums.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

With Jerry Rafferty.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Oh, yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

Right.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

So, I mean, you know. And then before Steelers Wheel. Yes. And Jerry would tune non stop and Billy would be there with a banjo and people were like, tell us a story. And Billy would do bits in between.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And then the bookers were like, can you lose that guy. And then he went on to fucking, you know, stuck in the middle with you. But anyway, so. And that's why I encourage you when, like, when we first talk about you doing music and stuff is like, people have preconceived. Who gives a fuck about Nepo Baby's preconceived notions? If you're passionate about something, do it. Billy. Billy was like, oh, I'll do this. But he's a fucking music nut. He loved Rory Gallagher.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Oh, yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

He would follow him, you know, and so you find this Christopher Guest is a fucking music nut. Totally. And a great musician too, you know. But anyway, so, you know, I. I nearly pulled the car over the day listening to Jimmy Pardo talking about the band Chicago. And you're like, any original members? One. And then I saw them 112 times. That might be it.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

I love all these guys that you've had on, by the way. Like, you know, I mean, there's just like. And it's. It's incredible. Like, you know, Greg Proops, him, Al Madrigle, the guys that we started with. Yeah, they're all vital and still doing great, you know.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Marc Maron]

Well, Al's finally back in.

[Mark Flanagan]

Yeah, he's back, but, I mean, funnier than ever.

[Marc Maron]

What's inspiring is that that these lifers, you know, despite whatever career shortcomings they have or if they're where they want to be or not, they still got to do the right because they're driven to do it.

[Mark Flanagan]

That's right.

[Marc Maron]

I think when we saw Greg at your place the other night, he. I think he. He hadn't done it in a while.

[Mark Flanagan]

No, he hadn't, because he's been on the road with his. With improv stuff, you know.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Marc Maron]

The song and dance.

[Mark Flanagan]

But, you know, my daughter's in. In Dublin right now. And it's funny because Jezenik did a show the other night, you know, and I said to him, he's gone to Berlin. And I said, oh, to work. And he goes, no, I'm just gonna go for two weeks.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

He said, I ended my tour there, and I went, I want to.

[Marc Maron]

Where do you play in Dublin? The Vic.

[Mark Flanagan]

No, no, he's. No, he's big. I mean, he plays, like, the Olympia Theater where the bigger rooms are. But he went to. He's just gone on a holiday. And I said, are you gonna do any? And he goes, you know, Europe. It's the fucking worst than standup. They're no good. And I was like, oh, there's. There's good Guys. And he goes, not so my daughter's in Dublin, right. And she's studying at Trinity College. And she just started. And I said, I don't know what's good comedy. So I look, I just decided to look at the listings and there's a place called the Sugar Club. That's great. And Roy Scovill's there on Wednesday.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

So I said go to see Rory.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And so he's so excited that she's there. But anyway, but there's. You know, we're so spoiled.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

For comedy here.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Really. Yeah, the best.

[Marc Maron]

Cuz they're all here.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

But so you, you know, like last night. Do you know Kate Berlant?

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah, of course.

[Mark Flanagan]

She's one of the greatest. Like, I mean, and she's so fucking funny.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

You know, and Megan Stalter. There's people that are just like other level. But then I love Sarah Silverman. Like still vital, still great. Still reluctant. Like you like.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Ah.

[Mark Flanagan]

I get fucking nothing. Goes up and kills.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

You know.

[Marc Maron]

Well, I think it's just like. And one of the reasons why I've spoken out about the state of comedy is just that there is the world of what comedy was, is all still here. There's interesting people.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Marc Maron]

There's unique people, there's people that deserve more attention. But because everything is so, you know, fragmented in bubbles. And then you have the cultural language around comedy being dictated by meatheads. That the really interesting and creative people are all still here.

[Mark Flanagan]

Right.

[Marc Maron]

But they don't get the attention. But. But maybe I'm wrong.

[Mark Flanagan]

See, that's the funny thing is I. I think about you. And sometimes when I'm walking out to the car and I'm just like, he has no idea. Cause people don't know what Largo really is. I mean, most people don't know. I bump into people, my dentist and know what, what, What's Largo? You know, And I love that. But the thing is. Cause it's busy. I don't, you know, what do I care? But you know, you'll be on one night and then the next night there'll be like the improvised Shakespeare thing.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And it's fucking unbelievable. Like, I mean, I hate Shakespeare. I have like you. I have an aversion to it.

[Marc Maron]

And they pack it out.

[Mark Flanagan]

Oh, I mean crazy. Like, you know, they're doing this Sunday and it's sold out, you know, so.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Marc Maron]

So it's all probably much more vital than I think it is.

[Mark Flanagan]

But what is the vital part? And it comes full Circle is. It's the jazz of the 50s for me. I get to see people, encourage people to do new stuff. Try new. Try whatever it is. You've got the best audience. I mean, I think, you know, because their phones are off, they're engaged, they want to hear new shit.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And I'm looking at. No night is repeating like. So to me, it's like. It's like jazz improv.

[Marc Maron]

Yeah. Well, that's sort of the way like Guest was talking about it. And the people that you have on, when they get comfortable at Largo, they, you know, they'll do that.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

But from the biggest, like from Sandler to anyone starting off, they'll go in there. But the thing that they know is it's not going to end up on YouTube.

[Marc Maron]

Right.

[Mark Flanagan]

I mean, I'll aggressively take some of.

[Marc Maron]

And also they can take chances because they have a good audience.

[Mark Flanagan]

Yeah, that's it.

[Marc Maron]

So Colin Hayes, he. He gets you into doing comedy.

[Mark Flanagan]

So what? No, but I mean, it was just like all these sad songs. Amy, man, save me, John. Bryan. Like, maybe you're a different girl. Colin.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Hay.

[Mark Flanagan]

I just. And I was like. So I went to this place called Pedro's Bar and Grill that you did. And there was a guy, Josh Didonato.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

Remember that fucking guy. Dude looked like the Mona Lisa.

[Marc Maron]

I remember him.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Marc Maron]

He would. He was the first booker of Alt show, in a way.

[Mark Flanagan]

Yeah. Parade, it was called.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Marc Maron]

And it was a big room.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Marc Maron]

And he would, you know, get all of us in there. But the Alt people.

[Mark Flanagan]

This is.

[Marc Maron]

But that's the. The thing that's really interesting is that most of these people weren't Comedy Store acts.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Right.

[Marc Maron]

That somehow or another there was this world of comedy in LA and a bit New York, where I started with. With Largo.

[Mark Flanagan]

Right.

[Marc Maron]

Or Luna Lunch.

[Mark Flanagan]

Yeah.

[Marc Maron]

That, you know, a lot of us had done club work, but there was this whole other world of comedy starting out here with Beth Lapidus place.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Marc Maron]

And a couple other places I think.

[Mark Flanagan]

She might have been. She could have been before me, but I think she did Luna park, which is after I, you know, after I started.

[Marc Maron]

That's right, that's Luna Park.

[Mark Flanagan]

But I went over to Pedro's Bar and Grill and he did a set and it was fucking atrocious every time. But then right up next, John Stewart. Then Laura Klinger.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

Then Karen Kar, then Proops. I mean, it was. And it went two weeks in a row. And I just, I said to him, okay, do Monday nights? Start Monday nights. I need Comedy.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

So. Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And I'm not kidding. The first one was David Cross and Bob Odenkirk were hosting.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

Mitch Hedberg was on the show.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And so one by one, I started picking them off, going, you should do a night.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And Sarah was the first one. Patton was the second one. Where, like, would you want to do a monthly show? You can have friends, any of these. Let's bypass this guy.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And. And then eventually I found out that he wasn't paying comedians. And all the money at the door went to the. You know, and I was trying to make it like, the food was like.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

You know, it wasn't. It wasn't expensive. So anyway, I found out he wasn't paying the musicians, and I fired him.

[Marc Maron]

The comedians.

[Mark Flanagan]

Yeah. Or. Sorry, the comedians. And then. And then I started booking Sarah Silverman and Friends. Patton Oswald and friends.

[Marc Maron]

Was Lisa Langang involved?

[Mark Flanagan]

So I was gonna say to you, she's the greatest. I went. She used to come, and I said, lisa, would you do this? And she was really busy. She was doing stuff with MTV and all the comedy stuff.

[Marc Maron]

I met her when she was booking the San Francisco Improv.

[Mark Flanagan]

That's right. And so this is right after that. So she said, look, I'll do it. I don't want to get paid, but I'll send people your way. So Monday nights became her thing. But then separate to that, I would have, you know, the Sklars, Proops, all the people that we love do nights. And then you would pop up, you know, different people from New York, everyone. They were all out here. Zach started. Zach moved out here.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Marc Maron]

I was always very intimidated by it all.

[Mark Flanagan]

A lot of people, you know, people have preconceived. I try to, you know, you're gonna do your best. I always tell people, just be funny. Like, people just want to fucking laugh.

[Marc Maron]

My whole thing was like, I. Despite the fact that I came up in New York and I was at the beginning of Luna Lounge, like, I always saw myself as a mainstream club act like that for me, because I'm a dinosaur. I was like, that's where we do it, right? This other thing is precious, and you.

[Mark Flanagan]

Have to do weird shit, but that's you in general. I mean, I have to tell you, like, Janine just came back and did a set. She hasn't been around you.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

How is she?

[Mark Flanagan]

Fantastic. Really, really, really funny.

[Marc Maron]

Is she all right?

[Mark Flanagan]

She couldn't be better.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Oh, good.

[Mark Flanagan]

And I haven't seen her since before COVID you know. But the thing I was saying to you okay. About people's ideas. You know, I've never been to the Laugh Factory. I've never been to the improv. And I. I've went to the.

[Marc Maron]

No, I. And I understand it all.

[Mark Flanagan]

I get older, but I'm so happy that they're there because there's so many comedians that are never going to play Largo.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

Because it's my taste.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

You know.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And there's other people that won't play Largo because of my politics.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

You know, but I'm so happy that the Comedy Store is there because it's four rooms, people are working, it's fucking vital, and it'll taper off.

[Marc Maron]

But, you know, I brought you a couple acts.

[Mark Flanagan]

Yeah, for sure.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

Great acts. You know, Fahim like Lara Bites, all the people that you've brought. But I get to hand pick this. You see, this is the thing I get to hand pick.

[Marc Maron]

It's great. I just. I. Sometimes I just try to think about what the hell was I thinking? And it was probably just the fact that, you know, I can only do what I do. And I don't. And I don't categorize it Right. So I just remember one time I came out to Largo, I was in New York and I'm hanging out and it always made me crazy to go on there because I just. I didn't feel, like, interesting enough or something. And I was always kind of angry. But I just remember being out in the doorway because there was no place to really hang out in the street. And Zach's there in a. Like in a George Washington get up.

[Mark Flanagan]

Right.

[Marc Maron]

And I'm looking at him, I'm like, this is what we're doing.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah, yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

You know, I hear this from. So, you know, Stephen Colbert, you remember there's pilot season, people come out from New York.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And he came out and he was like. Lisa said to me, there's a guy called Stephen Colbert who's on the. He's on the Daily Show. And I didn't watch tv. I was like, at Largo and the night off, I was going to the beach. I was not a TV person, so. And Stephen couldn't have been nicer. And him and his friend were doing some sort of improv y thing. I think his friend wrote it. And Stephen got up and he was up after Eddie Izzard.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And he fucking bombed, like, I mean, to the point where people didn't even clap when he finished.

[Marc Maron]

Oh, my God.

[Mark Flanagan]

But they were polite. They weren't booing him.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah, yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And he says that he still has fucking nightmares about that.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

About that. Yeah, yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And I don't. I can see why. You know, I mean, the funniest guy. Truly one of the funniest guys. But he just. He misunderstood the room. He was like, oh, I'll do this thing. Odenkirk can do that thing and make you fucking cry.

[Marc Maron]

A sketch thing.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah, yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

But it wasn't stand up, and it was a standup show. And I mean, I'm not kidding you. Like, it was like. I think Proops and Paul F. Tompkins were hosting together. And Greg Barent was on fire. Swartzen was on fire, Laura Kightlinger. And then the closer was Eddie Izzard. But then Eddie said, can I go on? Can I go on? Just before. Because I need to. And I'm like, sure, sure. So we said, lisa, let's put Stephen on last. And he was like, that's great. I see this fucking guy sweating, pacing up and down the carpet. Who, Colbert?

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And he goes on. I felt so fucking bad for him. But anyway. But it's a misunderstanding. And that's the thing I try to tell people when they come to Largo is just like, hey, just be you.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

You know, just be yourself and you'll be fine.

[Marc Maron]

You know, And I do think, I think, honestly, that the Largo audience has sort of opened their mind up, too, as time went on.

[Mark Flanagan]

You know, the Largo audiences, I don't know a lot of people, but it's a lot of people in the entertainment business. They can afford a $40 ticket and they're there to see the fucking best.

[Marc Maron]

So we didn't talk about Elliott Smith because. And the other thing about me and. And like, singer songwriters and stuff, like, it's not really my bag.

[Mark Flanagan]

Right.

[Marc Maron]

To me, like, because I have this whole other half of me that's kind of, you know, almost townish.

[Mark Flanagan]

Right, Right.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Marc Maron]

There was always an elitism to it all in my brain, but it was all insecurity.

[Mark Flanagan]

No, it's your New Jersey blood. Before you got to Albuquerque.

[Marc Maron]

I think Albuquerque really put it in place.

[Mark Flanagan]

Well, here's the thing. For me, from coming from Ireland, right. Is Yates, Seamus Heaney, Patrick Kavanagh. That's what we. That's what I learned in school.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

That's what I was passionate about.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Right.

[Mark Flanagan]

And so Bono can't sing anything. He has to sing fucking good lyrics or they'll, you know, in Ireland, you know, and he does. But that's what was drawing me when I heard Amy Mann. It's like poetry. It's like Leonard Cohen. It's like Elliot Smith. Elliot Smith, like, just fucking unbelievable.

[Marc Maron]

There's something so painful about him.

[Mark Flanagan]

To me, there is. And then again, like, I mean, there was a Nick Drake thing came out recently, and they were trying to give a fuller picture of who he was, you know, and there was an interview. God love me, just passed away. Danny Thompson, the bass player, one of the greatest bass players ever. He just died this week. And he played on Nick Drake's records, on John Martin's records, Richard Thompson records. And he was like. He was a bloke. He was funny. He wasn't funny. And he died.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

You know, I mean, that's what he said about Elliot. No, he said about Nick Drake. And that's the thing about Elliot Smith. People think he was a doom guy. Like, you know, and I. When I. Before I saw Leonard Cohen in concert, I thought, oh, my God, this guy has problems. He couldn't have been the funnier fucking guy on stage. And when I met him, I was like, you know, he.

[Marc Maron]

Did he ever play Largo?

[Mark Flanagan]

No, but his kid, Adam. His kid did. But I'll tell you a funny story. So we talk about the guy that started Largo with me.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

His name was Fergus. And he wanted to change the name to, like. I don't. Honestly, like, O'Reilly's.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah, yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

Oh, no, no, no. I said, I'm out. I mean, you know, I can't. I know it's your place. But he was like, well, you know. And so luckily, the. The license, you couldn't change the name Largo or it would take two years. You would have to start again. So I wanted to call it the residency, and he wanted to call it O'Reilly, whatever the fuck he wanted to call it O. Flynn's. That was his last name.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

But anyway, before we opened, he got an awning, you know, outside the building. So we're opposite Canters, and the sun's coming down over in the middle of the day this has actually happened. And I'm standing there, and I said, so, what do you want to do with this awning? And he goes, I'm thinking green. Like, really, like a light green that won't fade in the sun. I'm like, could we do brown? Could we do burgundy?

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

No, I'm thinking green. And he says, in fact, the guy's coming now, and I see this pickup truck coming from fucking two blocks away with this. The most green thing you've ever seen in your life, right? And he fucking Pulls up and thank God he spelled Largo wrong. He put Largo on it, but it was spelled wrong so we could say Largo. He spelled it with L, A, N, G, like it was way off. Yeah, he barely spoke English. But anyway, he's putting it. Well, let's just put it up there to see what it looks like. This is what this fellow says. So he puts it up. And I'm standing there, the sun beating on my fucking back, looking at this thing going, this is a bad idea. I should get out now. I should get the out now.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And this old guy just started, and it wasn't old. This guy walks down the street, he's wearing a fedora, and he walks past and he looks up at this thing and he. I can see he's kind of giggling. And then I look at him and it's Leonard Cohen.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And I said, hey, Leonard, how you doing? And he goes, oh. And he was kind of a little taken back. I said, let me ask you a question. I said, you think this green is too much? And I'll never forget what he said. He says, are you going for kitsch? And I said, we're not going for a kid to Leonard. And he goes, I would strongly decline. And just kept walking. And then I got to know him. He had a little office around there. And Adam is son is great. But anyway. Which is unbelievable. You know, you talk about Largo like, I mean, I get to work with Randy Newman. I get to fucking all these people. Gary Shandling, like true people that I was like, you know, Shandling would come. Oh yeah. I mean, I had many, many meetings with Shan, like lunches, talking about his comeback that never happened, you know, and he would tell me the bits he's gonna do. Well, hey, what if we got a coffin? And I come out of a coffin? I'm like, why? You just tell jokes. He did Sarah's show and he did a couple other things, but like he did a Judd Knight.

[Marc Maron]

But what was the plan? Because, like, it's your only thing, right?

[Mark Flanagan]

So far.

[Marc Maron]

But I mean, like, was there like coming up?

[Mark Flanagan]

I've done other things. So, you know, I've done. I put a book out about Marty Feldman.

[Marc Maron]

Oh, yeah?

[Mark Flanagan]

Yeah. But also I did a Largo film to document. It's available online. It's just called Largo.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And it's got fionapple. It's got, you know, it was just a three month period of before I left there. But. But Largo is my thing. But my, my goal was to mix comedy, music but new stuff.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

So people would come to a place and see stuff for, you know, and have an audience that would go, we know this is new stuff. So there's a patience, but there's also an applaud because they're like, you're fucking trying.

[Marc Maron]

Well, that's the thing about, like, doing it for me, too, because it's not like, if I do Dynasty, and it's like, less at stake, but you want to put on a show. Show at Largo. But they do get to know you.

[Mark Flanagan]

Right.

[Marc Maron]

And it does force you to do that.

[Mark Flanagan]

Yeah. Somebody said to me, when I first. Zach actually said it to me, says, you should charge a lot more because this place is nicer.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And I said, no, I should charge a lot more. So people are put off by going to it.

[Marc Maron]

Right.

[Mark Flanagan]

You know.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

So that we get the cream of the crop.

[Marc Maron]

But you never got into TV development or anything.

[Mark Flanagan]

I've been offered a lot of stuff. I was offered. John Bryan and I were offered a show to do, and I've been offered, like, open Largo, New York.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

You know.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

That'd be Twin Towers. It'd be a disaster.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

You know.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And. And also, I'm a very family person, so, like, I mean, that's more important to me, so. But Largo is. That is my family. Like, you like it or not. You, Sarah Silverman.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

You know, all Chris Fleming, everyone. I just. It's. I live for it.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

It's the best. Yeah. Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

You know, and I get to see you every month.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

I don't need to see you for fucking coffee or lunch. But if you do, great, you know, and. And I have friends that, you know, like Colin Hayes. Been a lifelong friend. John Bryan. And we're. You know, John's coming back next month. But, I mean, it's like, the great thing about it is people get really, like, Sarah's leaving Wednesday to do a film.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

You know, she's been doing a monthly show for over 20 years at Largo.

[Marc Maron]

Sarah Silverman.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

She's gonna do a movie. She'll be gone for a month. She'll come back, she'll be full of fucking beans, ready to go.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

You know?

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And that's what I get. And I also. I also get people running, going, hey, can I just do my set before. Before I tape and we get to see that.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

You know, like, you did it. Like, Chris Fleming just did it the other night. He's going to do it right before he tips his HBO thing. And so it's very exciting. But I made an executive decision 10 years into it when I turned 40. I'm only going to book people that I like.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And I don't mean musically.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

Can I hang with this person? And by the way, I'm very conscious, too, about backstage of being in people's faces. I. I think one of the best things I. I'm. I'm good at is reading people in general. But just what do you need? Get out of the way. Because I know that all day it's in your head of, like, what you're gonna talk about. You know, Sarah Silverman goes. Still goes to a coffee shop with a yellow pad all day. Doesn't eat and comes to. So I have to. Is she gonna pass out? I mean, you know, she hasn't eaten all day.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

But I mean, I know what it goes into coming on stage, you know, and I play guitar and I play trumpet and I do all this stuff, but I don't wanna be on stage. It's not because I'm nervous.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

Just. Cause I don't. I don't wanna do it, you know, And. But I know what it takes to get on stage.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

You know, and so what I tried to do at Largo is like, keep the backstage less frilly. Like, no people business people coming by.

[Marc Maron]

Right.

[Mark Flanagan]

And they do that afterwards. But, like, it takes a lot for you to get on stage. And also, you know, your. Your Albuquerque story, which, you know, one of my favorite things, the new one.

[Marc Maron]

I haven't. I haven't worked.

[Mark Flanagan]

I know, but you're chipping away at it. And so I see you sitting. I'm not going to go over and talk to you about Peter Green. I'm like, we can do this afterwards.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yes.

[Mark Flanagan]

But I also stop other people from fucking rabbiting in your ear.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Oh, really?

[Mark Flanagan]

Yeah. And I'll even say to people, go into the second dressing room, just close the door. You know, and that happens a lot. So, I mean, so I'm very protective of. You know, you think of somebody like Pete Holmes is the fucking craziest thing happened the other night.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And in light of all these assassinations and crazy people, Pete Holmes is there and he had Judd Apatow and a couple other people. This really funny new comedian, Davantry Coleman. And they were. Pete got there early. He drives in from Ojai, and he's there with the wife. And we're just sitting, talking. And he's had people film his sets. So, you know, thing. And this white guy just walks into the dressing room. He goes, pete, can I talk to you? And I said, hey, who are you? And he goes, I just want to talk to Pete. And I said, you have to talk to me first. And I just fucking dragged him out into the alleyway. I said, grow up, kid. Fucking slam the door. I didn't know. And then Pete says, his wife said, he was standing by your car when. When we went for a food and came back. And, you know, no, he could have been looking for an autograph or pitching something, but, like, I couldn't. I couldn't believe it. Yeah, you know, that happens.

[Marc Maron]

People just wander in.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

But I think more than ever, like, I mean, you know, I think about, like, Jimmy. Jimmy Kimmel. Right now. I heard that there was a little fire, an electrical fire outside his house.

[Marc Maron]

And he freaked out.

[Mark Flanagan]

Well, I freaked out.

[Marc Maron]

Why wouldn't you?

[Mark Flanagan]

I'm like, you know, fuck, are they. Are they going? And it was just an electrical fire, but.

[Marc Maron]

So do you just keep in touch with all these people?

[Mark Flanagan]

Yeah, always. I mean, they keep in touch with me. Like, Sandler's on the road. We text each other and, you know. But, yeah, I'm really good at keeping in touch with people. Checking with Sarah, like, where are you going now? What are you doing now? I mean, honestly, she's as close to a sister as I've ever had in my life, you know?

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

Zach, Zach, Zach. You know, we are so fucking close. It's so funny. I will just be thinking about Zach, and he'll call me.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And I'm like, you know that? And he's like, yeah. And he's coming down. He lives up off of Vancouver Island. He's coming down for three weeks. And that's what I love. Like, I mean, I don't need to see all the time, but we'll have dinner. We'll catch up. But I've known him for fucking 26 years.

[Marc Maron]

What was your relationship with Marty Feldman?

[Mark Flanagan]

So Marty Feldman's widow, on the first day that I opened Largo, this older, beautiful lady comes in with another older, beautiful lady. And they said, well, yeah, to see the show, darling. And I went, okay, great. And so I just love the two of them. They're like, ironically. Do you know what Absolutely Fabulous is?

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

It was based on these two.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Oh, really?

[Mark Flanagan]

So it's Peter Seller's widow, Marty Feldman's widow.

[Marc Maron]

Okay.

[Mark Flanagan]

Best friends, Anne and Loretta.

[Marc Maron]

Kit's just getting into Absolutely Fabulous.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Oh, yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

I mean, they're funny as fuck. But anyway, Loretta became my best friend. She passed away 12 years ago. But I met her the 10 year anniversary of Marty's death. He died tragically young in New Mexico or. No, in Mexico City. Doing the movie Yellow Beard with, with the Python guys, Chapman and Bowie, everybody was on it. But anyway, so I live in her house. Yeah, I live. And. And we have the piano from putting on the Ritz from Young Frankenstein in the house. Like.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And Buster Keaton's wife Eleanor gave him Buster's actual hat. It's on the wall. It's crazy.

[Marc Maron]

You just took the house furnished.

[Mark Flanagan]

No, I. So I took care of her when she was dying. And then she had always told me, this house is yours. It was. You know, I've been going there for 36 years.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And I didn't. After she died. She wanted to die at home, kind of. I was thinking this the other day, cuz Zach is coming into town to do Mel Brook's project about Young Frankenstein and it's Younger Frankenstein and it's a really good story. But when she passed away, she died of cancer. She wanted to die at home, which, same thing with my mother. And I had a 24 hour care for her at, at the thing. And people would come by to say goodbye to her. And one day the housekeeper goes, he goes, there's a guy called Jean wants to say goodbye to Loretta. And I'm like, no, she's in a coma. She's like, this is the end. And I look at. That's Jean Wilder.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And he just came to our house and he, he just sat beside her, held her hand. He says, would you stay with me? And I went, yeah. And he goes, you know, my wife passed away from cancer. I'm like, yeah, I know, yeah. And so like this house. But anyway, I, I kind of. She left it to me and it. From the 70s. She didn't do any. Like, there's no air conditioning, you know, everything else, we, we live there and I love it. You know, I just redid it all up, but I kept her stuff through. And our stuff.

[Marc Maron]

That's wild.

[Mark Flanagan]

And his, he was working on his autobiography and it was in the attic and she didn't, she didn't want to read it because she was just like so devastated. He died so suddenly. 48, wow. Major smoker. Five packs of cigarettes a day. Shockingly, he died of a heart attack.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

But anyway, Eric Idle lived up the street and Eric's been come to Largo for years and I give him the, the manuscript of this thing and I said, hey, read this and see if it's any good. And he goes, this has to. This has to be published.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

So we publish and give all the money to a children's char. The Children's Tumor Foundation.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

So there's things like that. When you ask me about Largo's my only thing, I. When you're talking about ending the podcast, I jokingly said, okay, I'll end Largo, you know, and it's 30 years. I don't. I. I move forward in a way that if it's not working for me, I would be the first to pull out of it.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

But I wouldn't. I would leave an infrastructure for somebody else, and I hope that you would do the same. Where, you know, Largo, that kind of community would always be there for somebody, because Largo's me, like, wherever. I could put that fucking piano and that rug anywhere and make Largo happen.

[Marc Maron]

Right.

[Mark Flanagan]

You know, and I could do it even on a night of Largo and still satiate the need for it. But I think the community is really important, you know?

[Marc Maron]

Yeah, totally. Yeah, I. I do, too. And I'm, like, barely part of it.

[Mark Flanagan]

Yeah. But I think also with you with this thing, I mean, I. All sorts of people told me, oh, he's. He should just do once a week, do once a month. And I'm like, no, he's done. When you told me that, I said, congratulations, you've done the greatest thing. It's been a great escape, you know, between Lynn, between all the stuff that you've gone through. You've pulled all us through, and, you know, I've never done a drug in my life, but I get really into you talking recovery with people and going, you know, and. And I see you kind of like, you know, you and Brendan will figure something out. It's not a done deal, you know.

[Marc Maron]

Oh, really?

[Mark Flanagan]

You need a break. You need a break. No, I get it. But, I mean, I could take. People don't know this about me, but I could stop Largo in the morning. Like, when Covid happened, I was like, okay, well. And you said the same thing about stand up. I was like, well, maybe that was it.

[Marc Maron]

I think we. We say those things to make ourselves feel better.

[Mark Flanagan]

No, I was a little bit. Like, my kids were at an age where I was like, I could spend a lot more. I spent every day with them. They were homeschooled, so it was like. It wasn't like I was an absentee dad, but, like, when Covid happened, I knew it wasn't going to be six weeks.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

I'm like, this is going to be a year. It's going to take years to. And I still think people are getting over it, you know, but just as I thought, maybe I'm done. I get a call from Conan saying, hey, are you going out of your mind? And his producer, Jeff Ross, is like, could we do it at the empty Largo? And so the whole way through Covid, Conan came and did his show live.

[Marc Maron]

When was the big switch over?

[Mark Flanagan]

From 2008 to the cornet?

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Marc Maron]

There was a little downtime in between.

[Mark Flanagan]

Now, no, not much. Maybe two months.

[Marc Maron]

And you lease that place?

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

45,000Amonth. That's crazy to a guy that wants to tear it down and make a parking lot. Really? Yeah. And I keep fucking with him. Like, I keep extending the lease and, you know, you don't want to sell it to you? No. Judd and I both approached him, and by the way, other. You talk about other projects. Like, Shandling really wanted to. And then his family, when he passed away, wanted to do a performance center where we could shoot specials, have two rooms, have a third room for comedians only. Full bar, full food, you know, and start a healthcare system, like, for comedians.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

You know, he was fucking brilliant, the guy, you know?

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And I feel like Judd has taken a lot of that on. Cause Judd is a pure fan of comedians, of performers, and gets people. But he learned a lot from Gary. Gary was like, he would read your script, give you tips, encourage you. And. Anyway, so I kind of like, I'm not trying to be Garry Shandling, but there was an idea right before COVID of trying to buy a place. And the idea would be Sandler Conan, everyone chips in, and we call it Largo at this performing center, and maybe a tribute to Gary or something. But then when Covid happened and you realize, you know, I mean, I was closed for a full year, and Conan gave me what he could because he wasn't getting a lot of money. You know, that landlord still wanted his $200,000 at the end of two years.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

You know, I mean, it's fucking cutthroat. Like, I mean, I'm the only sole owner operator of a venue in Los Angeles.

[Marc Maron]

Right.

[Mark Flanagan]

Like Christina the Troubadour, her dad and somebody else owns it, but, like, she doesn't book it. I do it all, you know, and I. If I can't do it all, I mean, I have a great staff. They've been with me forever. Michael, the manager. But if I don't do that, then I'm gone. And that's why I never opened a place in New York, because I wouldn't be there. And you can only put your ass in one saddle.

[Marc Maron]

We've always thought that.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Marc Maron]

All right, so before we end, let's talk about the night I got attacked.

[Mark Flanagan]

Oh, fucking fantastic. What do you remember about it?

[Marc Maron]

This is exactly what I remember.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

I have a recording of it. Did I tell you that?

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah, yeah, I think. Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

It's on cassette.

[Marc Maron]

Paul F. Tompkins hosting.

[Mark Flanagan]

That's right.

[Marc Maron]

Right.

[Mark Flanagan]

Do you remember what the night was called? For the. For Only the Lonely. It was Valentine's night, really. And the idea was, if you don't have a date, come to Largo.

[Marc Maron]

Right. Well, I remember Mick Jones from Foreigner.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Marc Maron]

That's his name, right?

[Mark Flanagan]

Yeah. And I thought it was Mick Jones from the Clash. And I was so excited.

[Marc Maron]

I was like, oh, it's Foreigner guy. But I knew Foreigner. Yes, he was there. Vincent d' Onofrio was there.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Marc Maron]

And then regular Largo people. I remember I was doing that joke about the sportscaster covering miniature golf.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Marc Maron]

That he wanted bigger things, and it ends with a suicide. And I do the. Do the line about suicide, and some guy, like, maybe two rows in goes, stop talking about suicide.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Marc Maron]

And I. Because I'm a dick. I'm like, oh, did you just lose somebody?

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Marc Maron]

You know, like. And. And then he lunged out of the audience.

[Mark Flanagan]

Oh, yeah.

[Marc Maron]

And tackled me. All I remember thinking is, like, I'm not really a fighter, but I can't run.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Marc Maron]

So I'm going to have to see what he stands me off. Which I knew in that moment that he wasn't really a fighter either.

[Mark Flanagan]

Right.

[Marc Maron]

But he tackled me.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Marc Maron]

And it was a tussle. There was no hitting.

[Mark Flanagan]

Right.

[Marc Maron]

And I just. I knew I had to stay in it. And then I think wrath. And you were the first two to come pull him off. And, like, pretty quickly, everyone ran out.

[Mark Flanagan]

Yeah, yeah. It was. It was. So what I remember about it was you were talking about suicide, and then this guy says, stop talking about suicide.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And he was closer to the front, and he was with his sister. And he said, we just buried our mother. She had cancer. And then you made some sort of a quip. And then out of the thing, he reached. He tried to thump you. I remember you had a little bit of a mark on your face. Cause I mentioned we ripped my shirt. And he tackled me. There was a drum kit behind you, and you went fucking funny.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Flying.

[Mark Flanagan]

And then Tompkins walks on stage and Said some quip, like, I've always wanted to do that or some. You know. But we went out onto the street, and I had this guy, and I. Dave Wrath. One of the.

[Marc Maron]

He drove back around.

[Mark Flanagan]

That's right.

[Marc Maron]

We ran him out. And then I came out, and I just remember seeing Denafrio there. And, yeah, it was all weird.

[Mark Flanagan]

But by the way, that's always Largo. Like, something will happen. There was a. Anyway, to end the story was I. I sat the guy down. He goes, look, you know, this is our first time out of the house. My mom was in hospice. We brought her home. She died of cancer. We came to a comedy show. And I was like, I'm so sorry. But then he talked to you and he apologized.

[Marc Maron]

Well, his. So my recollection is like, you know, he pulls back around.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Marc Maron]

And you freak out, and Raph freaks out. He goes, I just want to talk to him.

[Mark Flanagan]

Right?

[Marc Maron]

And I say, okay. You know, and then we walk down the street, and he says, look, I'm sorry. I'm not really that guy. But he. I thought. He told me that his brother had tried to kill himself or something.

[Mark Flanagan]

There was others, but definitely his mother. And then he was like, we've just had enough. And we came here for a laugh, and we didn't want any Valentine's bullshit. We saw your show, and we came and I said, hey, man, you know? And he goes, how are you related to this guy? He said. I remember him saying this. And I said, he's the guy that starts fights. I'm the guy that ends fights.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

You know, I mean. And I calmed him down. And then he spoke to you for a while, and you were great with him.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And I remember saying to Rath, mark has a mark on his. I hope he's all right. Cause he connected with you somehow. But it became this thing of myth where people were like, oh, my God, I heard that fucking. Somebody tried to shoot Mark at Largo. But, you know, I remember the first week that I was there in 96. One thing I learned from the ex partner was, any artwork that you have, nail it to the wall. Cause they're gonna steal it, right? So I was like, ah, that's a bit much. So we had this poster. It was an old poster of a vaudeville thing. But there was another thing with Miles Davis, and it was in the men's bathroom. And this. I'm standing watching the show, and it was. Loudon Wainwright was playing. And he's fucking great, right? And he's singing, and a guy comes up to me and goes, hey, there's a guy in the bathroom trying to steal some of your shit. And I'm like, what, the toilet? He goes, no, he's got a screwdriver and he's taking your painting off the wall. And I went, huh? So I went down, I went into the men's bathroom. Remember that long car door? It was very narrow. And I walk in and there's a guy with a fucking ponytail on the toilet trying to take this really expensive mirror. That's not expensive. He thinks it is.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Right.

[Mark Flanagan]

And I said, hey, what are you doing? He goes, oh, the guy just asked me to fix this. And I went, that's fucking good. And I, by the way, I am not a fighter, you know, I grabbed him by the ponytail and I dragged him out of there and he kept trying to stab me with the screwdriver.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And as I'm dragging him up the aisle way out to the front door, David lynch is sitting there and going, good for you. And I was like, what is happening? How did I get to the. You know. And I threw him out the door and he just. I locked the door and off he went. But Louden never missed a beat.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Marc Maron]

How did lynch go there often?

[Mark Flanagan]

Yeah, you know, everybody goes there often.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

You know, like Paul Thomas Anderson. That's where he Magnolia. That's Amy. Man, all those people.

[Marc Maron]

He found him there.

[Mark Flanagan]

Yeah. Because John did the music on his very first movie. So I've known Paul since his. His first movie, you know, and he's always called me up and going, hey, what about this guy for this or that guy for that? And, you know, so. Yeah, so. But there's a lot of, like, you know, I don't know how. How often, but I'll hear like, oh, Tarantino was here and he cast me in a. Such and such.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

That's the thing about Largo. You know, you go out there and you. You better have a plan.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

The. Is sitting there.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

You're beyond that.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

I'm talking about somebody in their 20s.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

Who comes out here and they're not like. Like Jimmy Kim or Jimmy Pardo said they don't have the sticks, the billboards, the hbo.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And, you know, and it could be Christopher Guest. It could be anybody sitting in that.

[Marc Maron]

Audience might be like, oh, that's. I could use that person.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah. Yes.

[Marc Maron]

Well, I appreciate all your support of this show and me.

[Mark Flanagan]

Thank you, Brandon.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Marc Maron]

I know you're a regular listener and.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Marc Maron]

I don't know where I'll end Up. But I do feel okay about what's happening.

[Mark Flanagan]

Yeah. And we've got a long way to go, you know, you and I.

[Marc Maron]

Do I. Yeah, I was. I thought I was dying last night.

[Mark Flanagan]

Do you know there's a great. Jeff Tweedy has a new triple album out. I know. You've had him on. I know. And he, to me, is like the Leonard, the poet, you know? And he has a song called Ain't it a shame that you can't die on a beach with a cloudless sky. Cause you're too young. And on the way here on npr, they were talking about this woman, Ruby. I think her name is Ruby Prosner, Holocaust survivor.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

95 years of age. Her and the husband Michael, went to Swiss clinic, sent everyone an email saying, we're shuffling off this mortal coil. Sorry we couldn't let you know in person.

[Marc Maron]

And they just did it together.

[Mark Flanagan]

They did it together. And I was like, there it is.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Marc Maron]

You know, so I'm not taking that drastic.

[Mark Flanagan]

No, but you are, in a way, ending the way you want to end. You know, you've revisited friends. You've had people on there that meant something to your life.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And I. You know, I always think it's a. It's a fucking launching pad for what's next.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Marc Maron]

It's okay.

[Mark Flanagan]

It frees you up. You want to do this movie, it frees you up. You can't do all of this at the same time.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

That's why I can't do other things I need, you know?

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Marc Maron]

I mean, there's things I'm gonna miss, and, like, I. I worry about it. I'd like to be freed up. I have to deal with my cat situation. But the newest kid came up with a good idea.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Marc Maron]

After I end the podcast, make this into, like, another kind of man cavey thing. Maybe put the desk out here and a, you know, big TV screen, a couch, and let Charlie live in here.

[Mark Flanagan]

But also, Margaret Cho has a really great friend comedian called Ian Harvey, and he makes these things for cats where you can keep them. They can go outside without hawks attack. Like, not cages, but, like, I have a catio. I know, but this is. I know you do, but this is like, you know, keep them separated kind of thing. You know, they can go outside and nobody's gonna. You know, there's ways of doing it.

[Marc Maron]

It's just so weird when your life revolves around a fucking dog.

[Mark Flanagan]

But I also think you should take a note out of Mulaney's book.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

And just kind of like do lunches, do a dinner.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

You know.

[Marc Maron]

Oh, have people over.

[Mark Flanagan]

Yeah. Not. No. Pick your favorite restaurant.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

Just say, hey, you want to get together?

[Marc Maron]

Let's hang out.

[Mark Flanagan]

Sarah does it with her rooftop party. I mean, you should do it. It doesn't have to be all the time, but you will have a. You'll have a withdrawal thing where you'll be like, I do want to talk to my friends.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Marc Maron]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

You know.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Marc Maron]

I'll work it out.

[Mark Flanagan]

Yeah, you'll figure it out.

[Marc Maron]

Keep coming over to Largo and doing it.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Marc Maron]

So we're going to do another band show.

[Mark Flanagan]

We're going to do another banjo on. On October 20th.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Marc Maron]

When's my stand up show?

[Mark Flanagan]

The 14th.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Okay.

[Marc Maron]

Thanks for doing this.

[Mark Flanagan]

Yeah.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Marc Maron]

There you go. Quite a tale. Good stories. His story was great. You can go to largo-la.com for tickets to all the shows there and info about everything coming up at Largo.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Marc Maron]

Here's some. Here's some stones. I got the acoustic out. I'm practicing for the next band gig.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Yeah.

[Mark Flanagan]

Sa.

[Unidentified Guest or Moderator]

Sam Sa.

[Marc Maron]

Boomer Lives Monkey and La Fonda Cat Angels everywhere.