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April 24, 2008
Inside With: Greg Johnson
Greg Johnson is a pretty chill dude. His jokes run around inside your head long after he's left the stage because in addition to being funny, he sprinkles his set ups and punchlines with vocal treatments that vary cartoonishly between the brotastic and the screecheriffic. Originally from Massachusetts, Greg settled in NYC after school and started the aptly titled Greg Johnson Show at Rififi in 2005. Now, on the eve of his 3 year anniversary of anchoring Friday nights at Rififi, Greg promises to delight fans and friends alike with a bopping blowout tomorrow. We asked Greg the most pertinent FAQs of the hour, but we failed to inquire about "security in the basement." You'll have to learn the answer to that one for yourself.
What's your story? How did everything come to be?
I grew up in Wellesley, MA. I first did stand-up when I was 16. My mother enrolled me in an adult education class in stand-up comedy. It was mostly women in their 50's trying to get over their fear of public speaking. However, we got to do a performance at The Comedy Studio in Boston at the end of the course. I started doing comedy regularly in Boston when I was 19 while I was going to college. I moved to New York at the end of 2003, where I met The Whitest Kids U Know on the first night I was in the city. They were starting a show at Pianos and we started hanging out together. Eventually, in 2005, by chance, I began splitting a 2 bedroom apt with two friends next door to Rififi. I really looked up to my friend Eugene Mirman at the time (still do) and thought there would be nothing better than to have a comedy show at Rififi. So, with Eugene's help--and help from Trevor Moore--Antonio [Rififi's booker] gave me a gig hosting Friday nights there. That's been my main comedy focus since.
We feel like we don't see you on TV enough. Do you have an agent?
I have a team of agents. Jeremy Piven, Lou Reed, Bob Sugar, Andy Kaufman (he's still alive). And others. But none of them have ever gotten me any work. That is kind of you to say. I am hoping to get my stand-up act and some other projects on TV sometime. Maybe you could text blast The Industry for me?
Done. Hey, is it true you take down your site whenever you have job interviews?
Ha! No. I had an interview at a highly respectable establishment back in January and I thought I might as well take down my site while the hiring process was going on. Although I was chastised by some of my peers for not staying true to myself for taking down the site, at the time the job seemed more important than keeping my blog about "chillness" and hot babes up that given week. But it's up there. You can check it out. I'm adding a podcast!
In Rififi's post-Invite Them Up era, The Greg Johnson and Larry Murphy Show has positioned itself as the venue's must-see weekly show and party. Tell us about your 3 years at Rififi. What's different about your show now than when it started?
Um, well, it's much more well attended now. When I started we would barely get anyone to come to the shows and now the crowds are really great. Everyone seems to have a really great time. When I started doing the show, Eugene Mirman assured me that it took him almost 2 years until people he didn't recognize were coming to the show. I couldn't believe him, but the same turned out to be true with my show. I was lucky enough to have the backing of Rififi and, also, Invite Them Up at the same venue while Rififi began to build a sort of built in crowd and a rep as a great spot for comedy. Which it certainly is. All things considered, it might be one of the best ones. And Eugene and Bobby Tisdale are responsible for that. I remember hanging out there one week in 2005 and David Cross, Janeane Garofalo and Patton Oswalt were all there. And I was like, "Where am I?"
There's also willingness to do the show now pretty much across the board from any comedian I may be lucky enough to meet. I recently met a popular guy I'm a big fan of from The Howard Stern Show and we were talking about Rififi and he said he'd love to come by. I was almost like, "Really? Why? For a drink ticket?" But it's really cool to have comedians with all different styles interested in the show because it debunks the myth of "alternative comedy" vs. say "mainstream comedy". Our show at Rififi is not really an "alternative" comedy venue. It's just at a bar with the show in the back and great crowds.
What do you look for in a comedian before you'll book them on the show?
Well, I like to have seen their act. Which is fair, right? I have a lot of comedians asking me to be on the show everyday and a lot of them, I've never seen their act. Some of them are friends of mine. Plus, I am less likely to book someone who's not understanding of my position trying to manage everyone. I have comedians who, like, seemingly hate me (literally) because I have trouble getting back to everyone or they haven't done my show in, like, a year. It's astonishing. PLUS, I have very little to do with who gets booked for the shows anyway. It's a myth! There is a young comedienne named Kate Berlant who books the shows. I think--I could be wrong--it's best to be casual about it and when it comes your turn, you'll get booked. Nick Kroll used to tell me the reason he booked me on shows was because I never asked. Whodathought? Nick's so chill. He totally gets it.
He does seem chill. Speaking of, help us out here--what can readers do to be more chill?
Great question! Tons of things! Blaze. Play lax. Toss the Fris. Do Yoga. Run a 5K, then blaze. DJ. Volunteer. Constantly wear flip-flops. Talk about your girlfriend (a lot). Carry a Nalgene. Wake up to NPR. Call movies films. Rip butts. Drink Miller Chill. Prefer vinyl. Dig sports (but ironically). Rock the Vote. "Never Forget." Read gregjohnsononline.blogspot.com. Pretend to not care about celebrities...
Anything Else? Summer plans? Plugs?
BIG plans this Summer. Please read my website and check out some of our shows EVERY Friday this Summer. The guests are gonna be awesome. Big ups to Larry Murphy, Neil Padover, Darren Trumeter, Vince Averill and Jesse Popp.
Posted by The Apiary at April 24, 2008 3:09 PM
Comments
That was fresh! I gotta learn to be more chill.
Posted by: soce at April 24, 2008 8:43 PM
Blaze? Check.
Posted by: chesslee at April 25, 2008 2:16 AM
Hey Greg!
Congrats on 3 years! This is me not asking.
Posted by: Billy Reno at April 25, 2008 1:50 PM
...security in the basement...?
Posted by: Scott Bateman at April 25, 2008 6:22 PM
So very proud.
Posted by: Corie at May 2, 2008 2:54 PM