If the idea of a life spent moving from point-to-point, never settling in one place, sleeping in a series of non-descript hotels with a series of equally indistinct partners, and performing before unappreciative strangers appeals to you, I have two words of advice:
Get help!
That’s the takeaway lesson from Jordan Brady’s new documentary ode to the life of the standup comedian, I Am Road Comic.
JORDAN BRADY podcast excerpt: "I was in Toronto when I was wrapping up 'I Am Comic' and Marc Maron was there. I've known him for 30 years. We hung out for a little bit. His career was on life support. I said, 'I'm done with the movie, but let me come to your studio--your garage--where you're doing this podcast thing, and maybe we can put you in over the credits. The distributor was like, 'Who the hell is this guy?' It was the same distributor that said, 'That Chris Hardwick has a lot of Twitter followers.' But Chris was only in the movie for 16 seconds! I said to Chris, 'We're going to put you on the cover of the DVD.' He said, 'Oh, so now I'm Megan Fox?' She had a cameo in a movie before she was famous and now they make her the poster. I said, 'Yeah, it's kinda like that.' The distributor didn't put Maron on the DVD extras. So this time around, it was important to have him in the movie."
Because while Brady’s earlier effort, I Am Comic, focused largely on the struggle from nobody to opener to middle act to headliner with a number of pretty successful acts, including Sarah Silverman, Ahmed Ahmed, Tim Allen from “Home Improvement,” Tom Arnold, Franklin Ajaye, Dave Attell, Louis C.K., Margaret Cho, Jeff Foxworthy, Jim Gaffigan, and a pre- “The Nerdist” and pre- “@ Midnight” Chris Hardwick, I Am Road Comic is more of a bottom-line study of how hard and unforgiving the life of that touring comic really is.
This time around, the big name attraction is easily Marc Maron, host of the immensely popular podcast, “WTF with Marc Maron,” as well as the IFC sitcom, “Maron.” It’s interesting that Maron is here, because as big a star as he is now, he was barely on the radar when Brady shot the first film. His career was on life support then, unable to sustain himself through a career in radio or comedy.
JORDAN BRADY podcast excerpt: "Look at comedians and look at their hot wives. The comedians aren't that good looking, but they must be funny. These attractive women find something attractive about a funny guy and that's their damage. They like to be made to laugh. Laughter sends endorphins throughout the body. It's a drug. That's what these ladies are hooking up for: they want that rush."
Featured in I Am Road Comic are funny people such as Nikki Glaser, Alonzo Bodden, Doug Benson from “Doug Loves Movies,” Maria Bamford, W. Kamau Bell, Jim Norton from “Opie and Anthony,” Judah Friedlander from “30 Rock,” TJ Miller from “Silicon Valley,” and Jen Kirkman from “Chelsea Lately.” Brady, himself a former comic, appears on screen this time around, going on the road and performing with comedian Wayne Federman.
Is it tough? You’ll have to watch till the end to get Brady’s final word on that.
I Am Road Comic Website • Facebook • Twitter • YouTube • Order I Am Road Comic from Hulu.com
Jordan Brady “Respect the Process” podcast • Facebook • Twitter • Wikipedia • IMDB • SuperLounge • Vimeo • YouTube • LinkedIn
