From Second City to Stand-Up: Eric Oren's Comedy

Join us for a lively discussion with Central Oregon comedians Katy Ipock, Fredo, Christine Keefer, and Julia Reed Nichols as they dive into festivals, social media, local news, and more.

In this episode, we also get to know comedian and Central Oregon native Eric Oren, who shares his journey from Second City to touring with his comedy group, his approach to stand-up, and how social media has transformed his career.

Keywords:

Comedy, Bend Oregon, festivals, social media, local news, humor, community, podcast

Transcript

SPEAKER_06 0:00

Any questions, comments, thoughts? Okay. I didn't leave a lot of time for anyone to ask anything. I was like, great. Glad we're all I don't know. I daddy. Yeah, exactly. It's fun. Funsies. Funsies. Okay. All right, everybody, and welcome back to this week's episode of Night Time Benders, Powered by the Source. I am here with some of Central Oregon's favorite funny faces to talk about hot topics, local news, and honestly, whatever comes to these people's mind. My name is Julia Reed Nichols. And I'm just gonna introduce you to some of the amazing comics that we have with us here tonight, starting with Katie. Katie, if you can introduce yourself.

SPEAKER_09 0:41

I am Katie Ipok. I'm a third generation Bendite and a local comedian, producer, and technically author.

SPEAKER_05 0:49

Like technically author? What does that mean?

SPEAKER_09 0:51

Well, I mean I've written two books and they're on Amazon, but they're only like 40 pages long. And still like my kind of book.

SPEAKER_01 0:58

That's not a technicality at all. You actually are an author.

SPEAKER_06 1:02

You are a full-pledged author.

SPEAKER_04 1:04

All right. All right, you're next. Please introduce yourself.

SPEAKER_01 1:07

Oh, hi. Uh, my name is Fredo. You know, I'm one of the few black people that live in Ben. Feels nice to be a part of the 1% for once. And you know, I'm the founder of Black in Bend, this fine merch that I have here. Check it out. You can find this at blackinwitopia.com if you're interested in that. And uh yeah, look for more to come.

SPEAKER_04 1:28

Is that really the website, blackinwitopia.com?

SPEAKER_01 1:32

Yes, that is a real website.

SPEAKER_06 1:34

That is a real website. Perfect. It's a website and a joke at the same time. I love it.

SPEAKER_01 1:40

Yo, I'm not seeing the feedback. This is work.

SPEAKER_06 1:43

Yeah, yeah, you're good. You're good. It's working, it's working. You got feedback. Let me double chat.

SPEAKER_01 1:47

Okay, cool.

SPEAKER_06 1:48

Yeah, yeah, you're good. You're good. You're good.

SPEAKER_01 1:50

Good check.

SPEAKER_06 1:51

Okay. All right, and please introduce yourself.

SPEAKER_07 1:53

Uh Christine Kiefer, local comedian, um, but also the CEO and head coach at Grit and Grace Wellness. Um, a personal trainer. I focus on women struggling. We're all struggling in the midlife. Yeah. So some of jokes are around menopause, dealing with menopause. And I'm a personal trainer for women who are also dealing with menopause. Because if you can't laugh, you're gonna end up crying.

SPEAKER_06 2:21

Ain't that the truth? And I'm honestly a little nervous to have you on the podcast with me because you're my vocal doppelganger. Yes, I know. I'm I'm a little confused that people won't know who's talking, which has never been a concern for me in my life before. People when I used to answer the phone, they'd be like, Is your daddy there? I'm like, Oh, my daddy Well, is your daddy? Absolutely. Daddy, how many daddies? I got a few daddies.

SPEAKER_04 2:47

Yeah, no, yeah, exactly. It's it's the number one criticism that I get on. Do you get criticized about your voice online?

SPEAKER_07 2:54

No, I think because once people get to know me, they're actually frightened. And so I like it that way, Julia.

SPEAKER_02 3:00

Yeah, I just need to be meaningful.

SPEAKER_06 3:02

I need to be scarier. I need to be scarier with age. I'm working on it, developing that fear. Yeah, I want people to fear me. Yeah, it's fun. You'll love it. You know what people don't love? People in Bend do not like to pay to park. The worst. So when I I moved to Bend from Vegas, and before that, I was in LA, and before that, I was in Seattle, and before that, I was in New York. So I was very used to paying to park, and one of the glories of the city was the free parking. But that might change. How do we feel about that?

SPEAKER_01 3:38

You know, honestly, I didn't know that there was free parking until you just said that. I thought I'd just been paying to park downtown been, you know, for a long time now. You know. So I I guess I'm glad to know that everyone else will start paying with me. I'm not upset about it at all.

SPEAKER_07 3:56

And I got an e-bike to solve for that. I'm one of the e-bike riders.

SPEAKER_09 4:01

Woo!

SPEAKER_07 4:03

I absolutely. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_06 4:05

Yes, I do.

SPEAKER_01 4:06

Do you have a helmet?

SPEAKER_06 4:07

I do. It's pink, it's really cute. Does it have a smiley face on it? No. Oh, we can fix that. Yeah. I gotta cricket. I gotta cricket. You do? I do. I can I can put a sticker on anything. Dude, I spent way too much time in Hobby Lobby, like just fawning over this thing that I never bought. So I I justified it because I upcycle my merch. I go to thrift stores, buy used clothing, and then use my cricket to put on funny sayings for merch at my shows. And that's that's how I justify my cricket perchant. I love it. Yeah, I don't sell a lot of shirts, but my adds are right on to my hand, so is the parking. Exactly. Yeah. So we were talking about, yeah, parking. I it's it's interesting because uh so has anyone gotten a parking ticket downtown? Hell yeah. Aren't they like $6 or something? 12. No, 12. Yes. Mine was 12. There's nothing. There's literally, you could get the parking ticket and just stay there all day for less than you could park all day in LA.

SPEAKER_01 5:12

All right. I definitely got a parking ticket, only one, and it was $25.

SPEAKER_05 5:16

Did you not pay it right away?

SPEAKER_01 5:18

I did. If I didn't, if I didn't pay it right away, it would have gone up to $50.

SPEAKER_05 5:22

Oh, wow. Okay, so maybe, maybe people.

SPEAKER_04 5:27

I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 5:27

I don't think this is how they treat the 1%, yo. This is crazy.

SPEAKER_04 5:31

I yeah, because like I literally last time I got a ticket, it was like $12. And I was like, this isn't even a deterrent.

SPEAKER_06 5:38

The same. I was like, I got this. I got this. I can afford $12.

SPEAKER_02 5:44

$25.

SPEAKER_01 5:45

Yeah, I know.

SPEAKER_06 5:46

You better you can borrow my e-bike. Yeah, that's all we're gonna be able to afford if they make paid parking in downtown. Until they make you pay to park the e-bikes. Yeah. I think if this is one of those things where the people who have lived here since the town was like 18,000 people get really angry at you've lived here a long time.

SPEAKER_09 6:04

I I remember when downtown both the streets were two ways. What? I remember when the parking was like parallel to the curb before the diagonal parking. Yeah. And every change we've ever made has not ever fixed the parking issue. And making people pay for parking just means only rich people get to park downtown.

SPEAKER_01 6:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_09 6:27

It's not it's not fixing the parking, it's not making parking better. I mean, let's be real.

SPEAKER_06 6:35

I don't want to make an obvious statement, but downtown's only for the rich people. Can we? I never go there. So it's not for it's not for the the ever. It's it's glorious. It's beautiful.

SPEAKER_01 6:48

I feel like I've been into a lot of stores, but haven't bought a lot.

SPEAKER_06 6:52

I used to get my hair done there and then I was priced out. I was like, I can't even get my hair done in town. My stepmom. So I'm always like, who are these people that go into these stores and buy a $200 ottoman in the middle of the day? My stepmom, we were walking down the house. I went in and bought this embroidered ottoman out of nowhere and was like, this will look nice next to my chair in my living room. I was like, that was $200. So I so apparently we just are, I'm just, I don't think I'm the class that they're aiming because like to me that seems like it's not in my spending goals. Yeah. Yeah. It's not in my budget. It's yeah. I try not to use the word budget. Budget feels limiting to me. Wow. I use the word spending goals. I use the word spending goals.

SPEAKER_01 7:43

Just from you saying that, it sounds like you need to be limited. Go back to budget.

SPEAKER_06 7:48

Mimi, you need a budget.

SPEAKER_09 7:53

You're feeling activated because it's pointing something out.

SPEAKER_06 7:56

No, and actually, no, no. So I like to pretend that I'm really frugal. I upcycle my clothing, I rent clothing, I'm like, I don't like to spend money, and then I'll drop $250,000 producing a show on the Vegas strip. So, you know, it's like I'll pretend like I like this, like you're like, oh, I'm so frugal. And then yeah, I'll be like, oh, should we drop $100,000 on a street festival, guys? So I think my money priorities just are like you're for the people. I I like a I like I I feel like I'm Gatsby. I like to set up the party and then leave. Like I I don't like people. I don't unless I'm on stage looking at them. I don't I don't I don't want to be amongst you don't like to be in the with the people. No, I feel like it's a size thing. Do you like being you're small as well. I am small, but but I do like being amongst people.

SPEAKER_07 8:48

Mm-hmm. I mean I pick my crowds. I try to not go to any cheese festivals, you know, a lot of downwind things can happen. Another woman my size, lactose intolerance. Anyway, um maybe we cut that out. But I do. I like being like we were we were just at a festival.

SPEAKER_02 9:06

We were and met people there. I got to see friends of ours there, spend a lot of quality time just meeting new and interesting people.

SPEAKER_06 9:16

What festival did you guys go to? Bonneroo. And where's that? East Coast?

SPEAKER_01 9:20

Yeah, it's in Tennessee, Manchester.

SPEAKER_06 9:21

Tennessee, what kind of music?

SPEAKER_01 9:23

It's all kinds of music, yeah. Yeah. Rap.

SPEAKER_06 9:26

Okay, I got to see my first rap. Oh, and who was it? It was a couple of Freddie Gibbs. Yeah, I went to Freddie Gibbs. Clips.

SPEAKER_08 9:34

Saw clips.

SPEAKER_06 9:35

Okay. Okay, great. How was it? Did you feel did you feel oh your first rape? Yeah. No, I don't eat my first raise. If you weren't so comfortable saying your age, I would never ask this. But how old were you when you had your first raise? Yeah. 56. 56 years old.

SPEAKER_03 9:51

Hell fucking yeah.

SPEAKER_06 9:53

Yeah. Just keeps getting better, huh? It does. Did you do drugs at your first race? Yes. Yes. What kind of drugs did you do?

SPEAKER_01 10:02

I can tell you. It was ibupropriate.

SPEAKER_06 10:07

Good man. Good man. I have children. They may not know what their mother does. Okay, so we had festival. You liked the festival. I loved it. I loved it. Loved the people.

SPEAKER_02 10:17

There were how many people were there?

SPEAKER_01 10:19

I think this year it topped out at 60,000.

SPEAKER_02 10:22

Whoa. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 10:24

So yeah, so it's like, yeah, somewhere around 60,000. And that was a huge decrease from last year. Because last year, I think 80,000 people showed up. Yeah. And then the festival got canceled after the first day.

SPEAKER_06 10:36

Why would why was the festival canceled?

SPEAKER_01 10:38

Uh it we had a really nasty storm. You were there? Yeah. Yeah. You both were there.

SPEAKER_06 10:43

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 10:43

And then a lot of the camping areas got flooded. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, we got some water in our tent, but if you go on TikTok and look at some of the videos, people were like, you know, knee-high.

SPEAKER_06 10:52

Yeah, this is this so yeah, my day job is I'm a festival director, and this is why I fucking hate festivals. Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 10:58

Bathrooms alone.

SPEAKER_06 10:59

Like the bathroom. The bathrooms alone in a festival. Do you know how many emails complaints I will get about a bathroom? Yeah. If something goes wrong with bathrooms, like Lord help you if you order the wrong number of toilets. Yeah. Right. Lord help you. And then weather. Because here's the thing about festivals. They're great in perfect weather, right? Yeah. You don't even need sunshades if there's clouds. Right, right. But if it's too hot, people start dying. If it's too cold, people start dying. There's a window in the house. Ben trains us for these. It does. Ben does a great training ground for festivals.

SPEAKER_01 11:38

But nothing, nothing can train you for the humidity that goes on in Tennessee during the summer. Yes. It's a different beast.

SPEAKER_08 11:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 11:45

And so, yeah, I mean, when we were there, we definitely dealt with really hot days. The last day, Sunday, it rained real bad. A lot of the shows got delayed like two hours. But we were able to make it through all of these things because we were in the platinum lounge.

SPEAKER_06 11:59

What's the platinum lounge? I love a platinum. I love a good VIP area. What's that?

SPEAKER_01 12:04

There's G A, there's G A plus, there's VIP, and then there's Platinum.

SPEAKER_07 12:09

And all I kept saying was there's general pop, and there's that. So just like prison. Pretty much.

SPEAKER_01 12:15

You got anywhere between, like I said, 50, 60,000 people at the festival. But in platinum, there's only 250 people. And we basically get our own lounge.

SPEAKER_02 12:24

Plus our food. Yes. And all you can drink. All you can drink.

SPEAKER_01 12:28

All you can drink. All you can eat. We have golf carts that take us to all of the stages.

SPEAKER_06 12:33

You're never gonna do it another way again. You ruined yourselves. I am five feet tall. It was the first to time I got to see actual performers and not. Can I tell you what I think we should petition for at festivals? Height, standing areas. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 12:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 12:51

If you are five, two and under, this is where you stand. Yeah. If you were six foot and taller, get in the fucking back. You can see.

SPEAKER_01 13:00

It depends because there were some shows that I was at, like clips or uh Lil' John was there. I was on the rail the whole time. I didn't give a fuck who was behind. Yeah, I'm not missing Lil John. Are you kidding me?

SPEAKER_06 13:15

Some short girl behind you just crying, missing her idol.

SPEAKER_01 13:18

Six foot three, but six foot four with the rain boots on. And yeah, no, I was such a way I'm missing that.

SPEAKER_07 13:26

I don't know how we got in this topic, but it was so fun.

SPEAKER_06 13:29

No, good. It always I feel good when people enjoy festivals because I I feel like I focus so much on the logistics, yeah, that it's hard for me to remember that they're fun experiences for people. I'm like, people actually enjoy this. That's why there's thousands of people here.

SPEAKER_07 13:44

It got me excited for Ben, you know, too. Yeah, at first I was like, I'm not gonna go see any of the concerts at Ben. Screw that. But I was I got home and I, you know, bought tickets to what are you gonna go see?

SPEAKER_06 13:57

Uh my son and I are gonna go to the Goo Goo doll. Wow, how like is that like that's like very 2001, right? Oh it's where is it where he like meets the world? He's younger than that. He's older than well, anyway.

SPEAKER_07 14:13

Yeah, and then the head and the heart is also another one. Yeah, nice.

SPEAKER_01 14:18

And then we're gonna go see and levity.

SPEAKER_07 14:21

Oh, nice.

SPEAKER_01 14:22

They're like uh EDM DJs, kind of like dubsteppy.

SPEAKER_06 14:24

Yeah, that way I can wear my rave wear. Yeah, I uh I went to an EDM show at the gorge with my husband, thinking I was gonna be like cool and really enjoy it. Yeah, just like a couple weeks ago, we went to go see uh Rufus DeSol.

SPEAKER_02 14:39

Oh, we saw them.

SPEAKER_06 14:40

Rufus was at uh yeah, and uh I literally as soon as it started it started crying because I realized I hated it. I don't like the flashing lights. Oh, I don't like being in the audience. I'm normally Because your drugs weren't working. I know I normally I think this problem is they were working and I truly felt my feelings. I was like, I can't escape how much I hate this. Because normally I'm on stage or like in control of the festival, and what I realized is I was like, I don't want to be one of you. Like I was like one of many, it's not where it was like so I started crying. Yeah, I I maybe it was the drugs. It might have might it might have been maybe they were working, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 15:26

That's why you would love platinum because we get our own section at all.

SPEAKER_06 15:30

Exactly. I think I need to I need to elevate myself to your level if I'm gonna do this. Yeah, or bring a step stool, or bring a step stool in a jacket. I was so cold. I like wore this cute outfit and I was so cold. And then I was looking around at all these other girls half naked, and I was like, how are you guys not freezing right now?

SPEAKER_01 15:49

They are because they were moving and dancing.

SPEAKER_06 15:51

No, there's something about your 20s where it's like you don't feel your body. I don't know what that is. You don't feel your feet and you don't feel the cold.

SPEAKER_01 16:00

See, because nothing on you is aching yet.

SPEAKER_04 16:01

The arthritis hasn't nice to setting in.

SPEAKER_01 16:05

Around that 35, 36-ish area, that's when you're like, whoa, I have feet. I didn't know my ankles swell when I do these things. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 16:13

I bring a change of shoes halfway through my day to switch out my shoes smart every day. Whether I'm working hard or not. This is just like a daily occurrence for podiac care.

SPEAKER_01 16:26

Nice.

SPEAKER_06 16:27

I know. Tips, tips. The audience is getting use of the word podiac. But thank you. In other news, you saw a video this week that was really interesting, sparked some conversation in it with Terry Cruz, who we all might remember as the old spice guy. Oh, that's how I remember him as the old spice guy.

SPEAKER_01 16:50

Naturally, I know him from Friday after next and the longest yard with the remake with Adam Samuel. But yeah, he's cheeseburger Eddie. Come on, he's cheeseburger Eddie. But yeah, Terry Cruz, uh, and he's talked about this before, but uh he basically was expounding on his past addiction to porn. And in this latest video, he basically was like, Yeah, I used to go and work out, and then from 10 a.m. until 11 p.m., I would just watch porn. And when I think about the idea of watching porn for 13 hours, there's so many questions that come up.

SPEAKER_06 17:26

Yeah, I did that math too. I was like, tell me happy he got his workout in first. Keep those endorphins going. What is that? A bicep?

unknown 17:37

I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 17:37

What are you making? I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 17:39

Whatever the shake weight works, that's what he was doing.

SPEAKER_02 17:42

The shakeweight. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 17:46

Yeah, whatever muscles that attacks, that's exactly what he was working on.

SPEAKER_06 17:49

That's why terror. I feel like you would develop a callus.

SPEAKER_01 17:52

100%. Like, I don't care how much lube you're using after 13 hours. Yes. Like But then I think, you know, maybe he was just watching it for like the storytelling. You know, maybe he's watching like true like two-hour films like like, you know, Harry Twatter and Mike. He's like investing into the whole scene.

SPEAKER_06 18:10

There's a lot of exposition leading up to the scenes, is what you're saying. A lot of buildup. Yeah. But is that what is exposition, inciting incidents, yeah, climax. I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 18:25

But how did his rising action? Rising action, climax.

SPEAKER_07 18:28

How did his wife not know? How does his wife not know? Like, if you're in the bathroom too long, I'm like, are you okay in there?

SPEAKER_01 18:35

True. Right around when my uh feet start to go numb.

SPEAKER_07 18:40

You're welcome.

SPEAKER_01 18:41

But yeah, no, I he he he hid it for a while until he ended up divorcing and then Yeah, he ended up going to rehab for his porn addiction, which is the funniest thing to me.

SPEAKER_06 18:53

They rehab for everything these days.

SPEAKER_01 18:55

Right.

SPEAKER_06 18:56

Yeah, I know. But you're probably at the bottom of you're like the dude that's like coming off of opioids, it's like really well. What's the withdrawal from a sex addict? Is there a withdrawal?

SPEAKER_01 19:08

Yeah, it's blue balls. That's the withdrawal.

SPEAKER_02 19:11

That's the withdrawal.

SPEAKER_09 19:12

Blue balls and sadness.

SPEAKER_02 19:13

Yes. Well, do they like tie your hand down though? They're like, I need to get out. Like, what happened?

SPEAKER_01 19:20

I would just hate for someone to try to make a deeper conversation out of me watching porn. Like, oh, let's open that up and diagnose that. What makes you want to watch porn? And but at the same time, it's like learning how you know Terry Cruz's porn addiction worked, it lets me know that I shouldn't have to be self-conscious about my own porn activity. Because I used to think I was addicted to porn, but there's no way I'm putting in 13 hours.

SPEAKER_06 19:48

Exactly. I love when people have a problem that's bigger than mine because 100%. It like no matter it just makes me feel so much better about myself because I love being better than people. You thought you were addicted to porn?

SPEAKER_01 20:02

I did. I did, I did, I did.

SPEAKER_06 20:04

Coming out on a podcast.

SPEAKER_01 20:08

Well, I was just saying, there was a time.

SPEAKER_06 20:10

Well, it because like it's like an activity to do. Like it's if you're bored. I there have been times in my life where I have perused the porn hub galleries.

SPEAKER_08 20:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 20:22

You know, so much so that I'll be like, oh, I've already seen that video. Gotta get a couple pages in before I find something new.

SPEAKER_01 20:28

I used to have a Pornhub premium account.

SPEAKER_06 20:31

Oh, there's a pre so I knew someone paid for it, but I didn't know who. You were one of the people.

SPEAKER_01 20:36

Listen, there is nothing like watching porn in 4K. That shit is bomb. When you can see the beads of sweat rolling down the crack of the ass, oh my God.

SPEAKER_04 20:44

I never even thought anyone cared about the high definition.

SPEAKER_01 20:48

Yes.

SPEAKER_06 20:49

I so yeah, fascinating. It's fascinating. Fascinating. So, so I'm now thinking about beads rolling down. So what is what comes to your mind? Oh, well, see, I was thinking my neck, my back. Yeah. The sweat dropped down my crack.

SPEAKER_01 21:07

Yeah, if you if you've never watched porn and seen the actual stretch marks on the actresses, then that means you've been watching a low resolution porn.

SPEAKER_06 21:15

Well, that's comforting.

SPEAKER_01 21:16

Yeah, you gotta upgrade your shit.

SPEAKER_06 21:17

Yeah, I've God, I'm ashamed of free porn.

SPEAKER_09 21:21

Yeah, I I'm more of a porte doesn't bother me.

SPEAKER_06 21:24

Yeah, it's no, you like listening to the daddies being like, you're a good girl. Oh yeah. A deep voice talking you through it.

SPEAKER_02 21:33

It's a whole genre. What?

SPEAKER_09 21:36

Yeah, like I get to imagine what that voice looks like.

SPEAKER_06 21:41

And it's whatever she wants.

SPEAKER_09 21:43

A very specific thing.

SPEAKER_06 21:44

Yeah, so that's what they've realized with women is they don't actually have to show them porn. Yeah. They just say things together. Say nice things about us. I'm a reader. I like to read. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 21:58

I stumbled upon like. Women porn, not lesbian porn, but like porn that was for women to watch. And it's weird because all it does, it'll still be like a straight couple having sex, but it just focuses on the guy. You really get to see his butt a lot, and then it focuses on his abs and his actual thrusting. They basically ignore the woman. And I'm just like, why would anyone watch this?

SPEAKER_06 22:20

Yeah, that's how regular porn is for us.

SPEAKER_01 22:22

That makes sense. That makes sense.

SPEAKER_09 22:27

Like good abs? Yeah. Yeah. Or broad shoulders. That'll do it.

SPEAKER_06 22:32

Yeah, yeah. I know we talked about this at the open mic, but that is why Bridgerton's so popular. Yes. It's my little sister kept being like, Bridgerton, Bridgerton, Bridgerton, Bridgerton, so much that I was like, oh, I should check out this Bridgerton show. I get a couple episodes in, I was like, bitch, I know why you like this shit.

SPEAKER_01 22:50

Christine watches it when I'm not home for sure.

SPEAKER_06 22:52

That is that is a for Christine only show to do it in private.

SPEAKER_01 22:59

I tried to watch a couple episodes with her, and I could tell she just wanted me to leave. I was like, all right. Have your privacy, I guess.

SPEAKER_02 23:07

Yeah, but I'm telling you. Jason 1, episode.

SPEAKER_09 23:12

It's a good one. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 23:15

Yeah, yeah. We yes. If you haven't checked out Bridgerton, there's a reason it is so popular, and I think you'll realize it shortly into the first season. And read the books too.

unknown 23:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 23:25

And this will help manage your porn addictions if you have them.

SPEAKER_09 23:27

Exactly. Is it porn addiction if you're just watching Bridgerton over and over?

SPEAKER_01 23:31

Soft tour. Yeah, probably. I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 23:33

Maybe it's a gateway.

SPEAKER_06 23:36

I feel like they have like a Kids' Choice Awards or something, right? Like you're feeling they're like an award-winning show. You can't like it's not great music. Does Nickelodeon still do that? The Kids' Choice Awards? They do. Do they still give it to inappropriate things like they used to in our days?

SPEAKER_01 23:51

I don't think they give it to inappropriate things.

SPEAKER_06 23:53

Oh, good.

SPEAKER_01 23:53

But weirdly enough, at this last one, Ice Spice got in a lot of trouble because he had on like a see-through dress while standing and posing next to SpongeBob.

SPEAKER_06 24:02

God, that's terrible. Babies have never seen nipples. That's right.

SPEAKER_01 24:08

People were in an uproar about that.

SPEAKER_06 24:10

I know. It's ugh modesty. It's it's one of the hard it's one of the harder topics for me because I think it's like so silly. I just think like modesty is so silly that it's hard for me to take it seriously. Or like I had a parent complain to me once at a festival, not just complain to me, but like, call my personal cell phone, send me a long text, send me an email. Like they really wanted to make sure this complaint got to me because their kid heard Janie's got a gun at one of our festivals. Wow. To which I wanted to reply, Well, your kid's a kid in America. Right. That's not the first time they've heard about a school shooting, right? You're like, what what are you afraid I expose them to?

SPEAKER_01 24:53

Oh man, what do you hear pumped up kicks?

SPEAKER_06 24:55

Right. That's what I'm saying. Like, what are you afraid that this song, the what concept? Right. They have a drill at school for this exact I'm not this I'm not the song's not the problem. I'm not the problem. The shooters are the problem.

SPEAKER_07 25:11

What a great opportunity.

SPEAKER_06 25:13

I mean, as a mom, what a great opportunity to have a conversation with a child. Yeah, you're gonna but instead you're like, I'm gonna never can they hear anything. You can't keep them in a bubble. They're gonna they're gonna pop.

SPEAKER_09 25:25

Gonna have to pop. I mean, if your kid is really listening to the lyrics of a song and like truly understanding the entire story, that's some great like English composition. Absolutely. You know, support. Yeah, and not be like, no lyrics for you. I agree. That's the start of Mickey literacy.

SPEAKER_06 25:43

Yes. I also am not a big fan of my parents, didn't censor art for me. It wasn't like something they did. So I find it weird when parents are like, my kids can't hear that word. I'm like, they're gonna exist in society, right?

SPEAKER_07 25:55

Like listen, the during the pandemic, I was unsure if my boys were actually doing online school or just on Pornhub.

SPEAKER_02 26:05

I had a word. I had a work. I was like, oh, whatever you're learning. That's good. Click the links, the school sends you.

SPEAKER_06 26:13

They're doing fine. They're doing fine. They turned out okay.

SPEAKER_07 26:16

I mean, as far as I know.

SPEAKER_06 26:18

Yeah, like they seem fine, right?

SPEAKER_07 26:20

Okay. Love them to death. They're doing great.

SPEAKER_06 26:22

And you know what? As long as their mom loves them, right? That's all that matters. And they're not imprisoned. You're doing better than a lot. A lot, yeah. A lot. Speaking of people that we could be doing better than, this isn't the smoothest transition. RFK. RFK. I don't know. That that felt like a judgment statement. I should remove the judgment from that. But RFK, he's on his make America healthy again.

SPEAKER_02 26:47

Sounds good at first.

SPEAKER_06 26:48

It sounds so good. I love the idea of America being healthy. We I think we all can agree. Yes. We like that. But what are some of the other ideas that he's been talking about?

SPEAKER_07 27:00

I mean, recently he's come out and said antidepressant usage it's rampant and we need a plan for when people exit. When they're done using their antidepressants, how to get people off.

SPEAKER_01 27:15

Can depression be healed?

SPEAKER_07 27:17

Well, I don't I don't know. If you follow Reddit, I mean that was part of his argument that there's this whole subculture of people that are trying to get off it on their own. You know, if you've been I've been on antidepressants, I remember feeling very flat. I successfully got off it from reading Reddit, not from a doctor. It helps. Reddit helps. Reddit always helps.

SPEAKER_06 27:39

Reddit makes the world a better place. I feel like it does.

SPEAKER_07 27:42

Yeah, it you know, it was like take you know, this week, take half. Taper, yeah. Taper it. And next week do it every other day. And it also told me what, you know, side effects it was going to have, which I did.

SPEAKER_06 27:56

Did you have depression again? Not as far as I know. Okay, we don't like it. But I'm like, all right, like I guess that would be my major concern for people.

SPEAKER_07 28:06

And and he and you know, part of this, it was on the daily that's a show I'd like to listen to on Spotify. But um that was part of the concern. Like if you rebound three times, you should probably go back on it. Um but he he announces this, you know, thing more broadly without any, you know, there's no psychiatry, board of psychiatrists included in his decision. I swear, he's just reading Reddit like I am. So that's concerning.

SPEAKER_06 28:37

Is he does he have an official title? He's the he's like the attorney general or something, right? Like he's like the head of He's the Secretary of Health at the end of the year. Secretary of Health. Health of Health, that is the yeah. I was like, he has like an official title in job. Yeah. That's a little disappointing that he's getting his information from Reddit, isn't it?

SPEAKER_02 29:00

Like that's just my theory.

SPEAKER_06 29:02

Yeah, that's your theory, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 29:03

I think Reddit holds all the hard truths. Yeah, like it's a place where you can trauma bond and really learn some things about the human beings.

SPEAKER_06 29:12

Yeah, yeah. I I love so it's hard because I love the idea of our food systems getting cleaner. I love the idea of people not being on medications if they don't need to be on them, to people having access to supplements that are gonna prevent them from being on medications. Um like anything that's gonna like let people live the life that they're here on this planet to live, I'm all about. I'm also just like not about like acting like people are at fault because they got right ill. I'm not into that storyline. Absolutely. Um because we're all working with the cards we have and the time we have and the money we have and the resources we have. And how fucking privileged to be like, well, everyone should just get on organic food.

SPEAKER_02 29:58

Right, exactly. That's not gonna work.

SPEAKER_01 30:01

Yeah, no. Uh I think we're 100% headed towards like a society that is just given prescribed medicine on the daily. Like we wake up and the government is giving us our pills.

SPEAKER_07 30:12

Well, I don't think it's the government. I mean, the FDA does not if you think the FDA I'm should I put my tin flail hat on?

SPEAKER_02 30:21

You got theories? I don't think the FDA is working in our best interest.

SPEAKER_01 30:25

Um that's why they allow so many drugs that are not approved by the FDA just go into circulation.

SPEAKER_06 30:31

Yes, peptides.

SPEAKER_01 30:32

Like those gas station pills.

SPEAKER_06 30:34

Well, peptides, oh my gosh, all the podcasters are talking about the peptides. You go, you get injected, it fills in some what are mitochondria. I don't it sounds very scientific.

SPEAKER_01 30:45

Also, if you're local to you're looking to get your peptide peptide dealer right here.

SPEAKER_07 30:51

You're a peptide dealer. Do you shoot people up? I will if they want me to, but that's not really that'll cost you extra. Yeah, no. There is there are so many peptides that are are doing so much good. So I got a certification in peptide helping people.

SPEAKER_06 31:10

So what are the top peptides that we should do?

SPEAKER_07 31:12

Oh gosh. Well, the ones so all the GLPs fall under a peptides. It's a peptide, yeah. Yes. I'm not saying you should do them, but for some people it is helpful. Like one of the menopause protocols now is hormone replacement therapy and a GLP, like a trazeptide to help women get through menopause. But beyond that, there there are peptides that help with aging, help with skin, help with hair. There's all sorts of peptides on the horizon. It's I really feel like it's going to revolutionize uh healthcare.

SPEAKER_06 31:52

See, you and every other podcaster out there are now so I'm like inject. See, I got sold on functional medicine. Yes. See, again, when you have too much money and too much time. I think I spent like $2,000 on medical testing last year from my gut. Like different different levels of testing. Like it was like one test, and then I had to go in, then I had to go to another special doctor for like another gut test. And then I just eat some sauce.

SPEAKER_01 32:19

Well, say like some kombucha. You'll be able to do that.

SPEAKER_06 32:21

So, like, this is why I'm scared of the peptides, because I'm like, if I start down this peptide route, I'm gonna be on like a $1,500 a month. Yeah, nothing. No, they're not that expensive and they're not forever, and we could talk later.

SPEAKER_03 32:33

Okay, okay. I might be sleeping on peptides. Yeah, you might have me there. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 32:37

Peptides.

SPEAKER_03 32:38

Okay. So we were talking about you guys, are you guys heading to a social media person's birthday party after this, or were you just invited?

SPEAKER_01 32:47

Yeah, we were all invited. All of Ben was invited.

SPEAKER_03 32:51

That's exciting.

SPEAKER_01 32:52

Yeah. Uh if you aren't aware, uh his name is Satish Bisa, uh, Twitch internet personality. He's also on all the other socials. He just has like random funny videos where he talks about stuff. Little short brown. I think he's Indian. Uh I'm gonna say he's Indian.

SPEAKER_06 33:08

We don't have to guess. We can just not white. I mean, the name sounds like he's just a person. How about that?

SPEAKER_01 33:13

He's just a no, it's I'm just saying, we're in Ben, the white topia of white topias. It's important to note that another man of color has popped in.

SPEAKER_02 33:22

They are here, they exist. We should celebrate it, actually.

SPEAKER_01 33:25

Yeah, no, he's uh yeah, he's having a birthday party, and he basically went on Instagram, put out a video inviting all of Ben. Well, not all of Ben. He's specifically inviting dudes that are willing to drink a bunch of beers and put in some lip pillows and that like to watch the World Cup. So uh Yeah, it's gonna be a very interesting crowd to see all of these people from Ben that don't like to do Ben things and but instead like to just be inside. Yeah, I'm expecting a lot of beer bellies and cells to be there.

SPEAKER_07 33:55

I feel like we need to go just to see.

SPEAKER_01 33:57

Yeah, no, I definitely want to slide by.

SPEAKER_06 33:59

Okay. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 34:00

I'm curious at this point.

SPEAKER_06 34:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 34:01

But yeah, he's a pretty funny guy and he seems cool.

SPEAKER_06 34:03

Yeah, he's the kind of person that people have like a parasocial relationship with, right? Are you like I was listening to that today where somebody was talking about their parasocial with like the online people that you feel like you know because they post enough that you feel like they're texting you and updating you, but you don't actually, it's not a two-way, it's a one-way relationship.

SPEAKER_01 34:24

Yeah, that guy definitely doesn't know you. Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_06 34:27

I mean, yeah, you know, like that's the thing. Yeah, we were also talking about how on social media and and I felt a little judgy. I was like judging people that hide the number of likes that they have, because I was like, they're hiding the number of likes that they have because they don't want people knowing they're a loser. Which I guess you educated me, that's actually not the reason.

SPEAKER_09 34:48

Yeah, the original reason why that was implemented starting with Instagram was because social media is so devastating to like the teenage population, especially teenage girls. We all remember being teenagers and already comparing ourselves to other people, and then you add social media to it, and then you know, the popular girl got 200 likes, and I only got 18 or whatever. And so they started implementing the ability to hide your likes, so you can't compare yourself to other people. Whether that actually does any good.

SPEAKER_05 35:22

Yeah, because now I'm just like judging people for hiding their likes.

SPEAKER_01 35:27

You suck. She was mad because no one likes your photos. You can't hide your lameness from me. Yeah, big bully.

SPEAKER_09 35:36

It's cute that that's the attempt to try to fix social media for teenagers, but I don't think that's a fix for I don't know what is the fix then, right?

SPEAKER_07 35:47

I mean, put the phone down.

SPEAKER_06 35:49

Can you put the GD back in the bottle?

SPEAKER_01 35:51

I know it's Yeah, no, it's like Tyler Creative said, like, how the hell do you get cyberbullied? Just close your laptop.

SPEAKER_02 35:58

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 35:59

Like, but it's becoming harder and harder to do. And, you know, these these companies like Google, Instagram, all of them, they are strategically putting things in their uh build that keeps people addicted. That whole like infinite scroll, like the fact that it just doesn't stop is insane.

SPEAKER_06 36:16

It is, it is, it is insane. And I I I made a couple choices about a year ago that really changed my relationship to social media. I got a dumb phone.

SPEAKER_01 36:27

Nice.

SPEAKER_03 36:27

That was a good choice.

SPEAKER_01 36:29

Motorola Razor.

SPEAKER_06 36:30

It's a flip phone. I can show you it's pink. It says, it says, Hi, Barbie, when you turn it on. It's really cute. Um I think it's meant for kids. Yeah. But adults can use it too. And then I got an iPad that I run all my social media on now. So if I want to pull it out, it's like a big bulky thing that I like have to actually work on and I can't scroll. And it has the number of hours it has freed up in my day. But also, I have FOMO. I miss out on all like so many shows, auditions, castings, and I'm just not on social media. So you know, there's also that idea where you just have to kind of believe what's meant for you is gonna come if you're not right engaging in this movie.

SPEAKER_07 37:23

I like went three weeks without checking social media, not really.

SPEAKER_02 37:28

Just like, and then suddenly I went to the messages and I was like, Oh my god, there's three people that want to, you know, want me as a personal trainer. I was like, I know. I need to need to I need to yeah. Oh no, yeah, it was hard. I want to be like, just call me, not okay either.

SPEAKER_04 37:46

You're like, I'm sorry. I'm I'm like, I'm not of this generation. Here's my cell phone.

SPEAKER_01 37:53

But like shoot me a text, please. Like even that's a stretch. No, call me because that'll make sure I actually answer.

SPEAKER_06 37:59

That's right. Maybe I'm kind of liking the revolt against social media. I I don't know if it's going to it's ever stick or we're ever gonna get rid of it because it does have value. Like as a performer, you know it has value. Right. But it would be nice for it to matter a little bit less.

SPEAKER_01 38:18

Yeah, it's so funny that you said you enjoy the revolt against social media because that is 100% like a sign of your age. I don't think any kids are like, yeah, we're revolting.

SPEAKER_08 38:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 38:33

These motherfuckers are definitely embedded into social media. They were born with it. There's no way they're giving us it up anytime soon. But yeah, no, I think our generation and yeah, definitely is starting to become one of those, like I feel like you're either starting to pull against it or you're 100% nose deep in it. Yeah. Uh I feel like there's like a like an age, like around our age, this is like we're like the peak of revolters. Whereas I think anyone like in like the 60s, 70s, the older people that are always arguing on Facebook, they're fine with it. They can't get enough of it.

SPEAKER_06 39:06

They love their groups, they love their groups. Although I must admit, I love a good Facebook group.

SPEAKER_01 39:10

And I love that Facebook is considered like the old people's social media now.

SPEAKER_06 39:14

Yeah. I regularly in life find look around and I'm like, oh, everybody here is 65 and retired. And that's how I feel when I'm online. I like show up places, I'm like, oh, everybody here is 65 and retired. Nice. Yeah. That's a good way to live the retirement lifestyle. Bend.

SPEAKER_01 39:32

Yeah, I mean, that's basically the population again.

SPEAKER_06 39:34

Yeah, throwing a pickleball. Are you guys pickleball players?

SPEAKER_01 39:38

She is.

SPEAKER_06 39:38

No, I'm not.

SPEAKER_01 39:39

She has like actual paddles and a ball at home.

SPEAKER_07 39:41

I have the paddle, I have partaken, but they take it way too seriously.

SPEAKER_06 39:47

Like, I got a I got enough going on. I can't I can't invest energy in a pickleball culture. But I am, I mean Sure. If someone was like, come join us and we'll do Bloody Marys afterwards, I'm all over it.

SPEAKER_07 40:01

Bloody Marys.

SPEAKER_06 40:02

You're not gonna you're not anti-pickleball. Not and just not in it.

SPEAKER_07 40:06

I'm just not I don't I don't I only have the paddles. I don't, you know.

SPEAKER_06 40:10

You get you need a skirt, you need the glasses.

SPEAKER_02 40:13

When you say I only have the paddles, I can see Katie say I do have the paddles.

SPEAKER_09 40:25

I bet you do. That I only bring when invited when there's bloody Marys involved.

SPEAKER_01 40:32

Yeah, no, I'm waiting, I'm waiting for black people to really infiltrate pickleball like we did with golf and tennis. Then, you know what I'm saying, then I'll join in.

SPEAKER_06 40:42

Oh, that's my sister's project for this summer. She's gone back home to my parents' country club in Austin, Texas, and she's decided pickleball is gonna be her summer activity just to make her more unique.

SPEAKER_01 40:55

Once I start going to cookouts and hearing people talk about pickleball, then I'm gonna be like, okay, maybe it maybe it's our time now.

SPEAKER_06 41:01

Yeah, maybe we finally got there. Yeah, I think we're in there. Uh well, I I don't know about pickleball, but I do know about a great show that's coming to Ben this weekend. I have an interview with Eric Orin. We sat down to chat with him about his show as well as his experience at Second City Comedy in Chicago, and we have that interview to share with you guys right now. So, welcome to the podcast. Eric, can you introduce yourself for people that might not be familiar with your work?

SPEAKER_00 41:27

Yes, I am Eric Orin. I'm a comedian, entertainer, media professional. I've pretty much worked in all sorts of areas of entertainment and media. And uh right now I'm primarily a stand-up comedian and uh just living in the Chicago area, but originally from Bend, Oregon.

SPEAKER_05 41:45

Oh fun. So you're coming to Bend later this month with the show, is that correct?

SPEAKER_00 41:49

That's correct. Yeah, I'm coming to Bend uh to visit some family, enjoy the 4th of July, and then I'll be doing the Bits and Skits show at Craft Kitchen and Brewery, which is going to be very exciting.

SPEAKER_06 41:59

Well, that's exciting. So I'm guessing this isn't your first time performing in Bend.

SPEAKER_00 42:04

No, actually, as it happens, I was living in Bend from right around just a little after the first major lockdown of the pandemic until about a year and a quarter ago, almost a year and a half ago, uh, when I moved back out to the Chicagoland area, which is where I had lived before. It's where my wife's family is from. So yes, I have performed in Bend. I spent several years living in Bend. Love it there. I got to host uh radio at 1077 the Beat for a while. I worked at KSJJ, which is a country station. And then of course I also worked with Z21 doing morning sunrise weather as well for a little bit of the time I was there as well.

SPEAKER_05 42:39

Fantastic. I bet you'll have a lot of fans that are looking forward to having you back in town for a special show.

SPEAKER_00 42:45

I sure hope so.

SPEAKER_05 42:46

Yeah. What do you like? What brought you to Chicago? Like, why Chicago?

SPEAKER_00 42:51

So I originally moved to Chicago in my younger days, right after I graduated from college. I went to the University of Denver. Uh right after that, I moved to Chicago because I had been getting pretty into doing stand-up and I wanted to kind of pursue comedy and entertainment in a city that had a lot more opportunity than did either Bend or Denver. So I moved to Chicago and I started working with the second city. I went through the conservatory. It's a world-famous comedy theater, in case uh anyone's not familiar. Uh they do sketch and improv. So I did quite a bit of that, got involved in that side of things, and then kept going with my stand-up. Uh, Chicago is also a great stand-up city, and in my opinion, top three stand-up markets in the country. So I was just grinding away, living in Chicago, doing comedy, uh, and also, of course, working some day jobs as well. You know, no one's full time in it right off the bat. And then moved to met my wife. We moved to New York together, went to film school for a while, moved back to Chicago, moved to Bend again, and now I'm back in Chicago. So we've just been making all sorts of moves. And yes, it's nice to be back living in the Chicago area.

SPEAKER_06 43:57

Yeah. So you went to Second City with. Like you said, for people who might not know, it's one of like the renowned, I'd say probably like top three improv programs. You what like Second City, UCB, and like Groundlings? Maybe Io Groundlings.

SPEAKER_00 44:12

Yep. I was gonna say Io would maybe be in there, but if we're talking about multiple regions, it would definitely be UCB, Groundlings, Second City. And um, all of those programs are really well thought of. There's lots of major celebrities and entertainers that we know on TV and in movies that came out of those programs. Uh so I thought to myself, why not go and do it with all of the people who are really trying to make it a thing? And I was very glad I did because I learned a lot. I got to work uh in all sorts of different environments, doing all kinds of different comedy uh and just broaden my horizons a little bit. And uh, it was a great experience.

SPEAKER_05 44:44

Yeah. So in terms of Second Cities program, what did you like about training there?

SPEAKER_00 44:49

So when I trained there originally, I think it was quite a bit different than it might be now. It's changed ownership. All of the teaching staff is a little bit different. So I'm sure it's still great, but I don't know as much about the current iteration. But when I was there, the cool thing was that all of the faculty, both talented in their own right. I mean, they'd all had their own careers as improvisers or sketch artists and sometimes as stand-ups, but they were also of a generation of sort of entertainer and educator that was around for those big names that we do all know about. You know, your Tina Fayes, your Steve Carell's, some of those names that everyone really knows came out of Second City. A lot of the faculty members that were there when I went through conservatory and was doing my, you know, handful of rounds of like trying to work on the stages in the building and trying to work on the touring shows, all of those people trained some of those big names and knew them and performed with them. So it was really close to just be one link away from some of the some of the people I idolized growing up in comedy.

SPEAKER_06 45:45

Yeah, it means you're kind of on the same path, right? You're like, hey, I found this step. It's the same step you found.

SPEAKER_00 45:51

So maybe it sure felt that way, I'll tell you. It's it was exciting. Um, it's another great thing about Second City, and I think it's probably still true today, is it's a great place to go to find a community of people who, I mean, you know, you're gonna find a community of people who want to be doing comedy, but you're also gonna find a community of people that within that who maybe have a style that's more similar to yours or style that's very different from yours and complements it. And then you pair up, a couple up, become a group of of entertainers doing a different side project. Um, and out of my time at Second City, I met two of my best friends who we became a comedy music group called Handsome Naked. And we toured the country, we got on television, on NBC, and uh we made the Billboard top 10 comedy charts, and it became you know almost 10 years of my life, and that all happened because I was, you know, walking through the same hallways as these guys, taking the same classes, trying to get on the same shows, and it was a it was a crazy, crazy experience.

SPEAKER_06 46:47

So Handsome Naked, that sounds interesting. That's a a what you would call a comedy music.

SPEAKER_00 46:53

It's a comedy comedy rap group.

SPEAKER_05 46:54

So it is specifically a rap, not just music, specifically rap. I like it.

SPEAKER_00 47:00

Yeah, it's it's a bit like if you were to pair the Lonely Island with Tenacious D. Now, Tenacious D obviously rock music, but they're a little more like long form music, whereas you know, Lonely Island was a bit more of like a sketch group that happened to music. So we were kind of a mix of those two, and uh we did it for a very long time. A little like maybe Lil Dickey, if you've heard of him. He's a single person and we were a trio. So it was more of a rap group version of Lil Dicky. And so we had a fantastic time doing that. Again, we we toured music venues, colleges, comedy clubs, you name it, for almost 10 years, and then we got the chance to be on NBC's Bring the Funny, which was a competition comedy show. Uh, we did quite well. We didn't make it late in the it was a bit of a tournament, sort of an elimination tournament. So we didn't do great in the tournament standings, but we got asked to come back to do a series of finale performances with Chris Redd and Keenan Thompson from SNL. So we got a lot more time on TV. We got to meet some fantastic people, uh, got to hang out with people who I never thought I would get a chance to be sitting in the chair next to. And it was it was very exciting.

SPEAKER_06 48:06

Yeah, I think that that says a lot about you know, taking control and producing your own projects because you guys did your own thing. It was a vehicle that allowed allowed you to shine, right?

SPEAKER_00 48:18

100%. I'm a big believer in you should you sort of have to put yourself in the position you want to be in because I think we're a little bit, I mean, I'm sure it still happens for some people, but feels a little like we're past the days where you know you just get plucked out of obscurity because you're brilliant, this, that, or the other thing. You know, you kind of have to show everyone how good you are at the thing you want to be doing. And part of that is strapping on some boots and saying, I'm gonna put myself on stage or I'm gonna put myself in whatever environment I'm trying to be in uh as a way to prove to people that you deserve to be there. And so Handsome Naked was a great example of that. Stand-up comedy is another great example because you really can just take yourself to any city in the country any night of the week and just go up on stage. Uh, so it's really like if you want to be doing it, the accountability is sort of on you. And uh, I love mediums where you get to just get your hands dirty and make yourself make your schedule for yourself because for me, activity is the key to furthering the route. You know what I mean? I am not good at just sitting back and picking my shots and doing one thing a year. I'm definitely more of an activity person. So more of a more of an engine than a driver.

SPEAKER_05 49:28

Yeah, I understand that.

SPEAKER_06 49:30

So you're coming to bend with your stand-up show. What would you consider your like style of stand-up, or what can people expect when they come to your show?

SPEAKER_00 49:38

Good question. So I'm coming to bend. Uh to your question, first off, I am a I'm an energetic comedian. I am silly, is a word I tech typically use. I mean, of course, every comedian at some level is silly, but my humor is a lot less sort of making fun of people, places, or things, and a lot more of using myself as the prop in all of the stories that I tell. You know, who am I? How do I see certain things? How I behave in certain situations that may be expected or unexpected. And I really don't tend to do like roast comedy or mean comedy well at all. I'm much more of like a comedy for the sake of comedy, silly on purpose, and then heightening the stakes a little bit, ramping up the energy. Um, it's almost kind of like uh comedy that's shot out of the cannon that you've just never seen before. Um, but it's also, you know, for the most part, pretty PG 13. I'm not gonna be up there cutting any lines in your political views or things of that nature. I get that style. I love that style in many ways. I see people who do it successfully. It's just not what comes naturally to me, and it never has. So definitely high energy, definitely silly. I like to have fun with the audience rather than kind of telling them what to be laughing at. And so I do some crowd work, but it all kind of is not sort of built into the show. It's just when it occurs, that's when we do it. And uh, I'm bringing my hour of comedy to this show. I'm gonna be touring it all summer and then recording it in October for a bit of a special, which will be my first comedy special uh at the Den Theater in Chicago. So this is my chance over the summer, starting in Bend, to get this hour on its feet, get it ready to go, get it all polished up and tidy. And uh, so that's one of the reasons why I'll be there in Bend at Kraft.

SPEAKER_05 51:25

That is so exciting, your first special. So you're gonna go on tour. How many cities are you gonna kind of like dust off the hour in?

SPEAKER_00 51:33

Good question. So we'll be doing Bend, we're doing, let me think here, Sun Valley, Idaho. Then I'll be back in Chicago for a little while, and then I'll be in some of the surrounding areas of the Chicagoland area, which they're all just glorified suburbs, but neighborhoods basically. And then I'll be back in Oregon again doing Medford, and then I'll be in Eugene, and then I'll be at Salem and near the end of summer, August 21st, I believe I'll be doing the Grand Theater in Salem, which is a beautiful historic theater. Can't wait for that. And then back in Chicago area for a little while. Uh I'm gonna be doing shows in Nebraska in September, and then back into the city and straight into October for the uh for the comedy special. So a bit of like a go somewhere, come back for a little while, go somewhere else, come back for a little while. Uh I have a three, I have a well, she'll be four. I have a four-year-old. So kind of kind of going on the road nonstop is off the table these days, which is fine by me to be honest.

SPEAKER_06 52:30

Honestly, it's not a great lifestyle. Who really likes it?

SPEAKER_00 52:33

Who wants to be on the road all the time, you know?

SPEAKER_06 52:35

Well, and I think that's the great thing about the internet. I I if I had to guess, I would say we're probably similar age. I graduated acting school in 2009. Yeah, so it a lot has changed in that time period for artists. You used I I had to move to LA because that's where you had to be, right? Um, Chicago was another great hub, New York was another great hub, but now what's so great is you don't have to constantly pound the pavement. The internet has made it so much easier. Yeah, to spend time with family.

SPEAKER_00 53:08

This is so true. I mean, look, we the attention economy thing, which is sort of the social media angle for all energy. It's a double-edged sword because you know, I can understand in many ways it, you know, it makes you feel like you're not doing enough, or you it makes you it sort of sets you up to compare yourself to other people's progress. But on the positive side, it is exactly what you said. It's your opportunity to have a stage and a platform coming from wherever you come from and making just exactly where you're standing the center of the world to you. And if you do it the right way and you do it with some intention, then everyone pays attention and it gets you where you possibly want to be going. And it's there's never been a better like tool given out to young and burgeoning entertainers and media professionals than social media. We just there's a lot that comes with it. But if you can see it as a tool towards where you want to go, this is like you said, it's there's never been a better time.

SPEAKER_05 54:01

Are you working on any projects right now online that people can check out and look into and connect with you on?

SPEAKER_00 54:08

Definitely. Yeah. So uh Handsome Naked was my baby for the last 10 or so years. My two friends who were doing it with me, they one of them had a family issue come up, and the other one is now the art director of a comedy theater in Amsterdam called Boom Chicago. So he's living over the scene.

SPEAKER_06 54:24

That's so great. Me and my husband were actually talking about that. I want to do uh like an expat comedy tour where I go to like all the English-speaking expat clubs.

SPEAKER_00 54:33

Well, I can hook you up with with Okay, a true gem. He's the he's the greatest. Uh, he's the art director at Boom Chicago, and they do it's very second city-esque. They do sketch and improv as their sort of mainstays, and they also have an active stand-up uh sort of wing of the building as well. So great place. And so now, whereas that was the project for the last 10 years, my current project is with another buddy of mine who's also a stand-up comic. Uh, he was touring with Josh Johnson, who's hosted the Daily Show a number of times.

SPEAKER_06 55:02

Oh, just Josh Johnson. Nobody's heard of him, I don't think.

SPEAKER_00 55:05

So my buddy Logan was his opener on tour for a very long time. And uh he stepped away from that. But he and I now run a travel show together that's called The Travel Daddies, and it's just me and my buddy kind of going to various cities in the country. Hopefully, we'll go international someday, but for right now, just cities in the country and getting off the beaten path and doing activities. Uh, we've done everything from you know, we had a rugby practice with professional a women's professional rugby team. We've had art workshops like a spray painting workshop, we've done a cold plunge and a and a sauna day, we've done manicures and pedicures, we've we've done beer tastings, we do kind of whatever it is. Oh, we did a tarot card reading, so kind of the stuff that maybe wouldn't be on your top 10 things to do list on a Reddit page when you're going to a new city. But our goal is to find special people, places, and things. And uh our fourth episode is coming out right now on social media. It was in the Boston and New Hampshire area, and uh we'll be shooting more content with that. We get a new clip every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. And that is not there's no plans to stop that anytime soon. So you can go follow at the travel daddies on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, and you can see all the content there.

SPEAKER_06 56:18

I love that. I think that's such a fun vehicle too. Like growing up, I always do you know who Samantha Brown is from the travel channel?

SPEAKER_00 56:25

A hundred percent.

SPEAKER_06 56:26

Who didn't want to be Samantha Brown?

SPEAKER_00 56:28

This is part of the I mean, look, you're talking to someone who loved I loved Samantha Brown, and that was part of my pitch to Logan. I was like, let's do a travel show, but make it like try and make it not one or two times more fun, let's make it ten times more fun and have it really just be focused on not taking itself too seriously, but also getting some great experiences as well and meeting some interesting people.

SPEAKER_05 56:50

Yeah, I love that. I love that. Well, if people want to meet you when you come to Ben, where's the best place for them to get tickets for your show?

SPEAKER_00 56:58

Good question. So as of right now, I believe that the tickets to the craft show, which is on the 27th, I believe, which is Saturday, um, they're gonna be on Bend Ticket. And I believe you can also find the link to those tickets on the at Bits and Skits Instagram page, which is the producer of the show. Uh, but I also believe if you go to the craft kitchen and brewery website, they have an event calendar that will link to where you can get the tickets for that as well.

SPEAKER_05 57:26

Fantastic. And we already talked about where people can check out the travel daddies, but where can people connect with you online if they want to find out more about your stand-up and all the projects you're involved in?

SPEAKER_00 57:35

Good question. I um I'm a modern man. I don't currently have a website that is like sort of my go-to. Um, so I'm all on social media. My Instagram is at Eric underscoren, and it's all spelled out. There's no actual underscore. So it's Eric E-R-I-C U-N-D-E-R, and then S-C-O-R-E-N. So it's just kind of a play on words, a little obnoxious if I'm being honest. But yes, at Eric underscoren, and that's me on Instagram, and I'm just at Eric Oren on TikTok and YouTube.

SPEAKER_05 58:06

Fantastic. Well, thank you so much for taking the time. I'll let you go on with the rest of your day, but I really do appreciate it, Eric. Thanks so much.

SPEAKER_00 58:12

Thank you so much. This was fun.

SPEAKER_05 58:14

Yeah. I was gonna say that uh one of I toured with a guy that was a second city, I think he's about the same age as you too. Do you know Andrew Thorpe?

SPEAKER_00 58:22

Yeah, totally. Andrew Thorpe is a buddy of mine. I used to do this, he used to do like video sketches back in the day when I was going through second city days, but I just talked to him like three days ago.

SPEAKER_05 58:32

Oh, we're buddies, yeah. Uh we went on tour together. He used to do my show, pinups on tour. Like we're we're we're good friends. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 58:39

Oh, that's small world Thorpedo Productions, baby. And he's a he's a good friend. That's no fun. I'll have to tell him I chatted with you.

SPEAKER_05 58:46

Yeah, please do. Let him know. And I yeah, thank you so much for taking the time and have a great show and bend.

SPEAKER_00 58:53

I will look forward to hopefully someday meeting you as well.

SPEAKER_06 58:56

Yeah, I hope our paths cross. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 58:58

I'm sure they will, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 59:00

Bye bye. What's the constellation on your arm? Or is it a or is it a metro map?

SPEAKER_01 59:06

No, it's that's fine. No, it's uh Sagittarius.

SPEAKER_06 59:11

Uh, okay. Yeah, there's the Ton.

SPEAKER_09 59:13

I was like, I don't see the fucking T Fa.

SPEAKER_06 59:16

With that, we have some great shows coming up in Ben this week. And of course, you can check out Eric's show at the Craft Kitchen and Brewery. I believe those tickets are gonna be at BenTicket.com along with a whole bunch of other shows. We have the Bachelorette show, which is gonna be at the Coyote.

SPEAKER_07 59:36

Yes, it's gonna be insane.

SPEAKER_06 59:37

And when is that? That is that is Thursday. Thursday night. Seven o'clock. Seven o'clock. Um gosh, why are you asking us?

SPEAKER_01 59:47

I just feel like that was a good thing.

SPEAKER_06 59:48

Uh today's the 23rd, Wednesday's the 24th, which makes Thursday the 25th. Yeah. Thursday the 25th is gonna be the Bachelorette show at Coyote. We have Platinum Winners, which is Katie's show, Sunday and Silver Moon, if you want to tell us about that.

SPEAKER_09 1:00:04

So there's a little contest that happens every year that's called Community Votes Bend, which is obviously not as big of a deal as like the sources voting contest. But there's like 400 something categories, and honestly, my theory is that it is an awards manufacturer that runs the contest because when you win, you just get an email that says buy an award. That's all that happens. And so this year I messaged all the other platinum winners and invited them to Silver Moon this Sunday. So from four to seven, it's just like a mixer networker, bring your friends, have a drink. And then from seven to nine is the winner's circle variety show. So we've got high desert fire artists or fire arts coming. They got platinum in so many categories like live entertainment, they're so talented. Live entertainment, they're so talented. And then I got platinum entertainers. And local DJ, which is why I I yeah, because I we're gonna use air quotes. I DJ at Starz Cabaret on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday nights. I don't know if that should qualify.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:15

Let me tell you, when Katie's on the ones and twos.

SPEAKER_09 1:01:18

Nothing but 2K tort tracks. Like you're gonna give me a choice, you're gonna hear psychological. And then it's gonna be hosted by Carl Click, who won an Emmy. Yeah, regional Emmy for journalism, but still Emmy. And then we got Charlotta Love, who just uh is the 2026 grand champion of golden something something burlesque, because she's amazing. But basically just gathering as many like winning artists as I can in one place so we can all kind of celebrate.

SPEAKER_06 1:01:47

Yeah, you should sell I think we should all celebrate our wins more. I think that's something we should all do. So congratulations, Katie. That's very exciting.

SPEAKER_09 1:01:55

All the all the other platinum winners get into the show for free with a plus one, and then it's a five dollar cover for anybody else. But as of right now, I think I have maybe like 30 seats left that I can sell because the platinum winners are finally checking their social media and that's what I'm saying. That's so exciting!

SPEAKER_06 1:02:12

Yes, yay. Well, congratulations. That's exciting. So go check that out. I have a show Thursday in a town. I don't know how to pronounce. What's it called? Shumolt. Shemalt. Schmalt with Jake Woodmansey. I don't even know. Yeah, I've you've done it. Yeah. Is it a fun show?

SPEAKER_01 1:02:28

It is a very fun show, very fun crowd.

SPEAKER_06 1:02:30

Is it at a truck stop?

SPEAKER_01 1:02:33

Kind of. It's like right beside a truck stop.

SPEAKER_06 1:02:34

Okay, that's that's what I thought. I was like, I think I'm doing a show at a truck stop, which is exactly my vibe.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:40

No, yeah. I mean, those are literally the only structures in Chamolt.

SPEAKER_06 1:02:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:44

Uh which the locals call shit molt.

SPEAKER_06 1:02:46

Little at least the locals. See, now I know. Now I know I have an insider joke to open with. That's a way to win over a crowd.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:54

No, that crowd down there, uh, because they don't really get much of entertainment anyway, they are so appreciative of comedy being in their town now. Um and so yeah, there's a really, really warm crowd. Don't be afraid of the missing teeth. They are really nice people.

SPEAKER_05 1:03:08

Ah, well, I'm excited. I always love a good small town show.

SPEAKER_06 1:03:11

The smaller the town, the bigger the deal I am. That's true. That's true.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:14

You will be the talk of the town.

SPEAKER_06 1:03:16

It's good for my ego. It's good for my ego. Also, if you want to get on a mic, we have a lot of really great open mics in Bend. That is how a lot of comics start. It's a great way just to kind of get out there and test your skills. We have Monday at Silver Moon's Tuesday. What's Tuesday? Oh, Tuesday is gonna be the one at General Duffy's. That was a new mic on Redmond for all you Redmond folks that don't want to drive in on the bend. Uh Wednesday at Craft, and then Thursday, I think Worthy has one one or two more in July. So we have a couple more. So lots of opportunities to get on the mic. Um, before we leave, do you guys have any plugs? Katie, we'll start with you. Where can people connect with you online? So my website is Katiepop.com.

SPEAKER_09 1:04:04

Uh, and there you can find links to upcoming shows, links to my books, and eventually tarot and divination services. What is it? Ben, you need to have like three children.

SPEAKER_06 1:04:20

Yeah, that sounds about right. All right, where can people connect with you? And if you want to check out Black and Bend.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:26

Black and Ben, like I said, if you go to blackandwitopia.com, you can pick up some black and bin merch. Right now we're starting with Ben, but the idea of black and white topia is to expand to all white topias across the nation. Uh, and just make sure the black people there feel represented. And if you want to purchase anything on the website, I won't be able to know if you're white or not. So uh white people feel welcome to purchase some merch as well.

SPEAKER_09 1:04:50

Yeah, this is how you earn some ally points.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:52

Yeah, yeah. I can't wait to see all the black and bin shirts around town. Yeah, no, it's uh it's a pretty sweet logo. Designed it myself. So yeah, please uh check it out, support a local business uh and support the minorities in town. Support the one percent.

SPEAKER_06 1:05:07

The one percent how do I actually don't know their person. Do we know? Do you know the actual Yeah, it's actually less than one percent. I was about to say it feels like less than one percent.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:16

It's like it's the first time I've ever been less than one percent of the population anywhere.

SPEAKER_06 1:05:20

You're special, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:21

It feels that way. No, no, no. Um as the townspeople call it, I'm exotic.

SPEAKER_04 1:05:25

You're exotic. That carries a lot of weight, doesn't it?

SPEAKER_06 1:05:30

That carries a lot of weight. So, yeah, support black and vent and help raise awareness for a community that definitely needs some visibility here in town for sure. And where can people connect with you?

SPEAKER_07 1:05:42

I can I will check social media, I promise. I it's I am kefer on Instagram. I am kefer, not keeper. I am kefer. Nope, but that happens as well.

SPEAKER_06 1:05:54

This is just biological. I learned at the menopause festival that we're we're both at that queefing is just part of menopause. It is, it happens, it just comes with the territory. If you lift something happy, it might happen.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:08

I know some people without menopause that queee as well.

SPEAKER_06 1:06:11

You know, the more you know human bodies, they're just strange things. Yeah, just like we're strange things. That's all I really have for this week. Is there anything else you guys want to be safe out there? Be safe out there, right? Remember to rate and subscribe to our podcast wherever you're listening. We are a new podcast, so that really does help. And we will be back next week with more funny faces from Central Oregon. Thanks, guys.

SPEAKER_05 1:06:35

Bye.