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Derrick Stroup - Lessons from Nate Bargatze and Bert Kreischer, How to Find Your Comedic Voice, Clean Comedy, + MORE - comedy podcast
In this episode of Hot Breath!, we interview Derek Stroup, who shares his journey from struggling with DUIs and living at home to becoming one of the top comics in the game. Derek discusses the grind of comedy, the importance of finding one's identity, and the lessons learned from comedy legends. He emphasizes the significance of emotional connection in joke writing and the evolution of his yelling style on stage. The conversation also touches on the business side of comedy and the value of clean comedy. Derek offers advice for aspiring comedians, encouraging them to write for real audiences and stay true to themselves.
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Key Takeaways:
- Find your voice by being yourself—don’t chase someone else’s style.
- Comedy built from real emotion (anger, joy, etc.) hits harder and writes itself.
- Yelling works… when used with peaks and valleys.
- Branding is everything: Know what the audience is buying.
- Clean comedy isn’t a limit—it’s a career unlock.
- “Write jokes for real people, not the back of the room.”
Transcript
Welcome back to Hot Breath, the show where you learn comedy from the pros.
Speaker A:I am your host, comedian Joel Byers.
Speaker A:And our guest today at the age of 30, had racked up two DUIs and was living back at his parents house just a decade later.
Speaker A:He is the go to opener for the biggest names in the game like Nate Bargazzi, Larry the Cable Guy, and Bert Kreischer.
Speaker A:His comedy career went from Alabama to Denver to then New York, where he was actually passed at the Comedy Cellar where without ever performing there.
Speaker A:This guy has a reputation for being an absolute killer and his reputation is only growing by the day.
Speaker A:And one of my favorite parts about doing this show and interviewing over 400 comics on here is getting to catch a comic right before that next level.
Speaker A:And this comic is definitely about to hit that next level.
Speaker A:And we will all remember the day we heard him on Hot Breath, Hot Brethren and Sister.
Speaker A:And welcome to the hot breath verse, Mr.
Speaker A:Derek Stroop.
Speaker B:Hey, how y'all doing?
Speaker B:Thanks for having me, Joel.
Speaker A:Howdy.
Speaker A:Howdy.
Speaker B:So much.
Speaker B:Glad to be here, man.
Speaker B:What an intro.
Speaker B:Best podcast intro I I've ever had.
Speaker B:Not a lie told so.
Speaker A:Amen.
Speaker B:Yeah, man.
Speaker B:So I'm excited.
Speaker A:Do you feel kind of.
Speaker A:Because you've done a lot of cool stuff, I mean, the Tonight Shows and comedy specials and stuff, but like, do you kind of feel like, oh, something's about to change?
Speaker B:Yeah, I can, I can feel the momentum shifting a little bit, which is, which is really cool.
Speaker B:You, it starts off online and then you start to see it in ticket sales and.
Speaker B:Yeah, it's, it's, it's really cool.
Speaker B:It's, you know, something as comedians, I feel like, you know, we hope for and work towards the, the whole time.
Speaker B:So it's great.
Speaker A:What does it feel like?
Speaker B:You know, it's fun.
Speaker B:It, it's, you know, and it's happening at a good time in my career.
Speaker B:It doesn't feel like it's like happening too soon or too early.
Speaker B:I feel like I'm prepared for the moment.
Speaker B:I've been working hard on my comedy.
Speaker B:I live on stage and so it's, it just, you know, it makes the shows a lot more fun when there's more people in the seats.
Speaker B:I mean, on the way, you know, my, my ride here has been.
Speaker B:Has been tough.
Speaker B:A lot of empty rooms and figuring it out, you know, it feels like kind of the la.
Speaker B:Like I'm part of the last wave of comics that kind of did it the old school way, you know, at a bunch of empty Funny bones in the back of a bunch of smokey bars.
Speaker B:And then you just do comedy, you know, so many times to where you eventually, you know, work your way to where you're wanting.
Speaker B:Not like tick tock, it's not an overnight success.
Speaker B:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker B:Type thing.
Speaker B:So it's been good.
Speaker B:The grind's fun.
Speaker B:The payoff that I've seen so far is really cool.
Speaker A:Well, I always ask comics on here their worst boo story or bombing story.
Speaker A:I hate to start it with this, but you kind of brought up the grind and that up that come up.
Speaker A:So, like, what was.
Speaker A:What kind of comes to mind of thinking of shows that just, I mean.
Speaker B:To me it's like more than just shows.
Speaker B:It's just like weekends at clubs.
Speaker B:You know, I did, I did a weekend at a comedy club in the Mall of America, and I've never been so alone in my life.
Speaker B:I mean, it was in July in Minnesota, when Minnesota has three warm months and, and, and July is one of them.
Speaker B:And yeah, it was just one of those weekends where there was no more than 10 people each night.
Speaker B:And you just take it on the chin.
Speaker B:You can clearly hear the cook laugh, which is tough because he's the furthest from the stage.
Speaker B:And you know, those type of those, you know, along the way.
Speaker B:I mean, I, you know, you do comedy, Joel.
Speaker B:You know this.
Speaker B:You've been, You've been doing it for a long time.
Speaker B:You do it in the craziest rooms.
Speaker B:I mean, I've done it at a reptile shop in Colorado.
Speaker B:Do you know how hard that is?
Speaker B:I mean, just surrounded by lizards and frogs and, you know, it was the toughest show I've ever done, you know, so, yeah, that, those, but those really make the, the big shows, the sold out shows, those.
Speaker B:That's what makes it all, you know, feel so good and pay off, you know?
Speaker B:You know, one thing I always tell people, you know, when you have, you have a day job and you work all the time, when you work all the time and you come home, just sitting on the couch feels like vacation.
Speaker B:You know what I'm saying?
Speaker B:When you don't work at all and you sit around the house, it feels like torture.
Speaker B:So, I mean, that's kind of how like being on the road.
Speaker B:I mean, when you've seen so bad having a little bit of good or having just a room full of people, I mean, it feels, it feels really good.
Speaker B:And, and I think it feels that way because I started off, you know, kind of fighting through the mud, and then you get on the other side.
Speaker B:And I'd like to think that I appreciate it more.
Speaker B:Not more than everybody else, but I think you appreciate the journey more.
Speaker B:You know, when you take that route.
Speaker A:What did in your career.
Speaker A:I'm trying to think.
Speaker A:You've.
Speaker A:You've worked with so many of, like, literally, like, the top 1% of comedians.
Speaker A:Like, it would.
Speaker A:I mentioned Bert and Larry the cable guy and Nate.
Speaker A:Like, is there something you've learned from working with them, or is there a commonality between them of just.
Speaker A:These guys made it, like, at the highest level possible?
Speaker A:Like, what have you learned from being so close to being in their orbit?
Speaker B:Really, all of them have their own charm in their own route and, like, how they did it.
Speaker B:You know, Nate's, like, very much overlooked his entire career and then kind of blows up at the end.
Speaker B:You know, people think that he was an overnight success.
Speaker B:He was doing funny bones and improvs and clubs for years and years before he became an arena act.
Speaker B:And that's.
Speaker B:That's just being persistent.
Speaker B:That's writing.
Speaker B:He never changed his brand.
Speaker B:He never changed his voice.
Speaker B:He never changed what he was doing.
Speaker B:He did the same thing, and people came to him.
Speaker B:He didn't go to them.
Speaker B:And.
Speaker B:And that's a unique.
Speaker B:Most of the time, comedians are chasing people.
Speaker B:And Nate said, this is who I am.
Speaker B:I'm clean.
Speaker B:This is what I talk about.
Speaker B:Here's my.
Speaker B:And.
Speaker B:And it's so unique to see somebody have that stance and.
Speaker B:And bring the crowd to them and what we do.
Speaker B:So, you know, with him, it's like the determination to grind.
Speaker B:Bert Kreischer is.
Speaker B:Treats everybody like a friend.
Speaker B:His charisma, if it could be bottled and sold, it would change the world.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:I mean, people get tired of him because the same reason I know Bert personally, he's a great dude.
Speaker B:But you're tired of Bert.
Speaker B:The same reason you get tired of good music.
Speaker B:It's been on the radio too much.
Speaker B:If Bert didn't live in every real we had and we all hadn't seen him cry 19 times, we would enjoy Burt more as a product than.
Speaker B:Than what we do.
Speaker B:But it's like that song that you hate.
Speaker B:You don't hate it because the lyrics aren't good.
Speaker B:You hate it because the DJ won't quit playing it, and Bert feels that way.
Speaker B:So everybody has, you know, different things.
Speaker B:And.
Speaker B:And one thing about me is I'm not the smartest guy in the world, but I'm really good at paying attention.
Speaker B:So just like what you're saying, that's like such a great question because I, I can't necessarily figure out a lot on my own, but I'm good at looking at other people, the routes they took, the approach they took, and go, okay, you know, I, I like that.
Speaker B:I think I'm going to try something like that.
Speaker B:And so I've been lucky with the guys that I've.
Speaker B:John Crist is a guy who has taken me on the road more than anybody, that I've been to every city in America with John Crist.
Speaker B:And one thing about John is his comedy is always evolving.
Speaker B:He cares about getting better as much as anybody I've ever met.
Speaker B:And that's.
Speaker B:And that shows in his career.
Speaker B:So, yeah, I learned a little bit from everybody.
Speaker A:Well, that definitely shows in John's career.
Speaker A:If he's willing to follow you.
Speaker A:Yeah, if he's willing to bring.
Speaker A:Because sometimes you'll hear, especially social media people will bring a soft opener to kind of just like make them shine more.
Speaker A:But the fact he's bringing you on the road does show he's legit trying to get much better at this.
Speaker A:Cuz you're not.
Speaker B:Yeah, there's an easier route.
Speaker B:I mean, Josh Blue, first guy to ever take me on the road one day was like, I'm never taking you on the road again.
Speaker B:And it was that blunt.
Speaker B:And he goes, I'm not, I'm not trying to dig out of a hole, Derek.
Speaker B:He goes, we're in Omaha.
Speaker B:I'm not.
Speaker B:And so, you know, credit to John for that.
Speaker B:And there is.
Speaker B:And it does make some sense.
Speaker B:Me and John, we don't step on each other's toes at all.
Speaker B:You know, he's doing true, like, Christian comedy and I'm doing Southern comedy.
Speaker B:And so I'm not stealing any of that thunder.
Speaker B:But yeah, kudos to him.
Speaker B:He's never scared and that.
Speaker B:And you know, and you got to respect that for sure.
Speaker A:What about these guys approach to business?
Speaker A:Because, like, it's show business and one thing to get funny and grind on stages, but also.
Speaker A:Okay, figure out, like you mentioned, like, okay, these comics have an identity, they have a brand, they have people hear that name and then immediately associate something with them.
Speaker B:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker A:So how, how are you kind of developing your business approach based on working with these millionaires basically?
Speaker B:Yeah, well, just like you said, you know, Nate preaches it all the time.
Speaker B:You got to have an act like, who are you?
Speaker B:What's your act?
Speaker B:Like what, what are you doing?
Speaker B:You got to show up with an act.
Speaker B:You got to show up with a set you got to, you know, and.
Speaker B:And that plays into your branding.
Speaker B:Like, for me, I'm a Southern comic.
Speaker B:I don't.
Speaker B:I don't run from it.
Speaker B:When I'm in Manhattan and I'm at the Cellar and I'm on stage, if people that are watching this caught me there, I'm the same comic.
Speaker B:There's no, you know, code switching, as the youngsters would say, yes, I'm.
Speaker B:I'm keeping it the way that I keep it.
Speaker B:You know, I mean, there's some jokes that are just too specific of a Southern joke to do, you know, in some parts of the country.
Speaker B:But branding is so important, and it's.
Speaker B:It's so important for the consumer, so people know what they're.
Speaker B:What they're buying, what they're getting into, what they're coming to see, and people want to latch on.
Speaker B:They want to go, that's my person.
Speaker B:That's my comic.
Speaker B:They're speaking about things that I.
Speaker B:So I.
Speaker B:I think that, you know, branding and who you are and.
Speaker B:And.
Speaker B:And all of that matters on stage.
Speaker B:For most comics.
Speaker B:Some comics, it doesn't.
Speaker B:Joel, Mark Norman and Jerry Seinfeld are joke writers.
Speaker B:You don't know anything about their lives, what they stand on politically, personally, anything like that, which is fine.
Speaker B:But there's a very small percentage of those guys that don't have a brand.
Speaker B:You got to build something, I think, for people to hook into.
Speaker A:Well, how did you find yours?
Speaker B:You know, I think just naturally, you know, like when I first started, I.
Speaker B:You know, finding your identity, finding your voice is really tough.
Speaker B:But where I was most comfortable was honestly just being who I am.
Speaker B:I've never.
Speaker B:I never watched another comedian or saw somebody else and thought, that's what I want to do.
Speaker B:I've never chased that dragon.
Speaker B:I've always just been myself.
Speaker B:So it kind of just played out to be this Southern comic that's ranty, and it's all.
Speaker B:It all comes pretty natural, and it's something that, you know, you.
Speaker B:I'd like to think, as a comic, it's a lot less exhausting to represent something that you really are than to always put on something that you're not.
Speaker B:So this is who I am.
Speaker B:And being a Southern comic is a very broad thing, and then I like it that way.
Speaker B:It's not just this specific type of comedy.
Speaker B:In Southern comedy, in Midwestern comedy, it's the same thing.
Speaker B:You know, I do a joke on stage about how the Midwest and the south are just about identical.
Speaker B:The only difference is a big war and I believe that travel the country, you go, you go to Wisconsin.
Speaker B:They are not much different than Alabama.
Speaker B:They're all in Hunter.
Speaker B:Hunter's orange, waiting for the ball game and going to church on Sunday.
Speaker B:And so that Southern comedy, I think, also translates.
Speaker B:I, I got a little off based on your question, but really how I found it was, without sounding cheesy, was staying true to myself, just using my own voice.
Speaker A:So talk.
Speaker A:Because I'm still trying to almost like, figure I haven't had like a clicking moment of like, oh, that's who I am, or oh, that's what I do.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:They were like, okay, I have a premise of a joke now.
Speaker A:I have this kind of identity.
Speaker A:I can kind of put it, put, put it through as a filter of like, this is how it'll be authentically me.
Speaker A:So I'm still, I'm still trying to, like, I can write jokes and I can be funny, but I feel like I haven't tapped into.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Like, that identity yet.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:And that's not.
Speaker B:And, and the way you're going about it is the right way because I don't think you, if you try to choose it or you try to force it, it's probably not going to be the right, the right fit.
Speaker B:But I mean, I also think that, you know, you're.
Speaker B:You might be looking for something super specific.
Speaker B:I mean, you're really relatable because everybody knows a guy that's a great guy that's straight laced, that's really funny.
Speaker B:I mean, you got some bits on stage that are so straight laced.
Speaker B:And so, I mean, it's like, I mean, I can't imagine you can count on one hand how many appointments you've missed.
Speaker B:I'm sure.
Speaker B:I'm sure.
Speaker B:And that is a brand to me.
Speaker B:That's a, That's a type of person that's, you know, and, but, but I get what you're saying.
Speaker B:I never knew growing up in Alabama would be such a hook.
Speaker B:Because when I get on stage, the first thing I mentioned is I'm from Alabama because it gets everybody's attention immediately, whether good or bad.
Speaker B:They're all like, what?
Speaker B:You know, especially when I'm at a market, you know, northeast, Northwest, California, I'm from Alabama.
Speaker B:All they've seen is Forrest Gump.
Speaker B:They don't have a clue.
Speaker B:So it helps from that angle, for sure.
Speaker A:And when did the yelling start to come into it?
Speaker A:And then when did I imagine developing the yell?
Speaker A:You probably had to scare people.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:It hasn't been pretty.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Imagine you getting the yelling to be funny, I'm sure you had to, like, yeah, just turn off a lot of people.
Speaker B:It did, it did.
Speaker B:It turned off a lot of comics.
Speaker B:I mean, nobody hates it more than comics.
Speaker B:I'm past that now.
Speaker B:But my God, it took years and years of people just hating my comedy because I was yelling.
Speaker B:But as my writing got better, the yelling bothered them less, which is fair.
Speaker B:But the yelling comes from a real place.
Speaker B:You know, that's one of my favorite things is like, people don't know me.
Speaker B:They might see, like, the yelling and they'll think it's a little gimmicky.
Speaker B:And if you hang out with me for a day and you hang around me, you go, oh, no, unfortunately, this is not a stick.
Speaker B:This is a thing like Derek's, you know, runs a little hot.
Speaker B:But I can remember the exact time it happened.
Speaker B:I was at.
Speaker B:At Mutiny Bookstore off of Broadway in Denver, Colorado, a very hipster cool bookshop.
Speaker B:And we had an open mic there on Tuesday nights.
Speaker B: And I was there in: Speaker B:I've really felt like I had some zingers, Joe, and they weren't budging me.
Speaker B:Everybody's just staring at me.
Speaker B:And I lost my mind.
Speaker B:And I just started telling my set, yelling, same joke, same thing.
Speaker B:And I go, maybe y'all will like it like this.
Speaker B:And I just start.
Speaker B:And they all start dying, laughing.
Speaker B:And.
Speaker B:And it made me even more mad.
Speaker B:It's, you know, it just worked the opposite way.
Speaker B:But.
Speaker B:And, and so then what happened was, is being young and, and not really knowing the game or how writing works or comedy works, I go, oh, I'm.
Speaker B:I need to yell.
Speaker B:That's my, that's my gift.
Speaker B:And that's.
Speaker B:So then I spent five years yelling at audience.
Speaker A:That's my gift.
Speaker B:Yeah, yeah, no, that's.
Speaker B:Listen.
Speaker B:Delusional.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker B:And, you know, I used to have comics come up that cared about me and they were just trying to give me.
Speaker B:And they would like go, hey, I think if you paste your yelling, you know, and then they would walk away and I'd go, somebody's hating a little bit.
Speaker A:Right, Right.
Speaker B:Somebody wishes they had the magic, you know, And I watched my dry bar set and you know, people have given me decent reviews on it.
Speaker B:But personally, and I.
Speaker B:And I.
Speaker B:And I don't like to say, but I hated it.
Speaker B:And I've never liked it, cuz I yelled the entire time.
Speaker B:Halfway through it, I stopped it and I was watching.
Speaker B:I'LL never forget.
Speaker B:And I go, I can't watch.
Speaker B:I mean, it was me.
Speaker B:I go, I can't watch this guy yell for another 30 minutes.
Speaker B:I mean, he's got to talk to me for a second.
Speaker B:And it changed my career because that in that moment, I learned that I needed peaks and valleys.
Speaker B:And peaks and valleys not only made my comedy, you know, easier to digest, it made my jokes land harder because the build started to happen.
Speaker B:And so now I go way up here, but I come way down here.
Speaker B:And then I'll go way back up here, and I'll go.
Speaker B:And that is how you get away with yelling.
Speaker B:Because yelling and that energy and who I am, that's a real build.
Speaker B:I have that natural build in real life, like talking about food or a ball game.
Speaker B:It starts right here.
Speaker B:And then I go.
Speaker B:And then I go.
Speaker B:And I'm blessed with that.
Speaker B:And I thank the good Lord because that natural build plays on stage.
Speaker B:But the peaks and valleys is what you can't yell for an hour.
Speaker B:It's just not sustainable.
Speaker B:It's not fun.
Speaker B:And that was a hard lesson, you know, that.
Speaker B:That I had to learn.
Speaker A:So will you pick almost kind of like.
Speaker A:Like an emotional arc or, like a story arc and, like, movies or whatever with, like, your bit?
Speaker A:Are you, like, okay, I'm gonna start here and then build up to this arc of me going way up here.
Speaker A:Are you, like, mindful with your bits about starting them there to then build them, or.
Speaker B:I just feel.
Speaker A:You feel it?
Speaker B:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker B:It's not intentional.
Speaker B:When I'm writing, I'm not thinking about the build.
Speaker B:And when I'm talking on stage and I'm feeling the room and I'm speaking, that build starts to happen.
Speaker B:That build starts to happen, and then I naturally find it in there.
Speaker B:And I think that that's important.
Speaker B:You know, I don't write every word in a joke or a bit until I'm completely done with it.
Speaker B:I start off with the idea and then take it to stage and let my brain and the audience and me figure it out.
Speaker B:Nothing gets put completely on paper, because once you write it all down word for word, Joel, you're locking it in.
Speaker B:And.
Speaker B:And I don't want to lock it in before I've worked it and felt it and.
Speaker B:And rubbed its shoulders a little bit.
Speaker B:When I put something.
Speaker B:When you look in my notebook, if you see things that are written down, you'll see some premises, you'll see some ideas, but the ones that are two or three pages are finished jokes and bits Because I have realized that's it.
Speaker B:That.
Speaker B:That doesn't mean we won't tweak something and add a tag, but this is it.
Speaker B:I like this right here.
Speaker B:And we found this.
Speaker B:And I like this, but.
Speaker B:And I think the point that I'm trying to make is that it makes the delivery much more natural when you're finding the bit to find it on stage than with your pen or your pencil.
Speaker B:Because when you're writing it, sometimes you don't realize it kind of comes through that way.
Speaker B:But when I find it through conversation, here's my premise.
Speaker B:Here's what I want to talk about.
Speaker B:Let me roll it on stage three or four times.
Speaker B:Then I feel like the flow feels more natural, and when I put it on paper, I'm writing it with that.
Speaker B:That natural flow that I found, if that makes sense.
Speaker A:Yeah, for sure.
Speaker A:And I'm trying to, like, get unattached to the pages much and not go, like, verbatim, word for word.
Speaker A:Here's how the joke works, because it does come off robotic.
Speaker A:And as I am developing this new kid material, and I have.
Speaker A:I do catch myself, like, getting stuck to the page.
Speaker A:And, yeah, last night I was like, I have these three premises around kids I want to try, but, like, the first one was all right, and then I kind of bailed.
Speaker A:Like, you know, if it starts to not work, you won't lean in.
Speaker A:But I feel like if you're just feeling it out, then you may be more willing to lean into that discomfort because you're not like, oh, I got to get to the next word.
Speaker A:But it's more like, okay, there's.
Speaker A:There's something happening here.
Speaker A:Let me lean into it a little bit more.
Speaker B:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker B:100%.
Speaker B:And I think finding it that way makes a difference in how it flows on stage.
Speaker A:So if I bomb tonight, I'll just be like, I go there.
Speaker A:Yeah, yeah, it'll be good.
Speaker A:So with your.
Speaker A:The emotional connection to your joke, is that kind of how you know how to start riffing about it on stage is you.
Speaker A:You have a premise, and you're like, how do I feel about this?
Speaker A:And then you go up and talk with that feeling.
Speaker B:Yeah, I don't.
Speaker B:I don't take anything.
Speaker B:Like, my premises and the beginnings of all my jokes all start with something that emotionally triggers me.
Speaker B:Happy, mad, sad, whatever.
Speaker B:Because that's half the work.
Speaker B:I.
Speaker B:This will not be heavy lifting or hard to deliver because I believe in this, and I'm already passionate about it.
Speaker B:I think there's a lot of writers that go into coffee shops and force themselves to feel a certain way about a subject because it's a funny thought.
Speaker B:I think you'll find yourself finding material that fits you better, that you enjoy more, and that you'll deliver stronger if you already start off with something that you've got a feeling about.
Speaker B:So it doesn't matter what it is.
Speaker B:And I think a lot of times as comics, we look over something small bothers us and we don't, but that's it.
Speaker B:That is it.
Speaker B:That small thing that bothered you was the premise.
Speaker B:And because it bothers you, I guarantee you the wheels are going to turn a lot quicker because we're already engaged, we're already locked in.
Speaker B:We already got thoughts on this because as writers and comics, as soon as we're emotionally.
Speaker B:As soon as something mad, sad, happy, indifferent, it's like, I feel this way.
Speaker B:Let me tell you how I feel about it.
Speaker B:And I think that that, that makes, for me, at least that makes writing easier.
Speaker A:Starting with something that bothers you.
Speaker A:That's really interesting approach.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Or something that makes you really happy, you know, because now, you know, if you.
Speaker B:If something.
Speaker B:If.
Speaker B:If we just came across like a food that you really enjoyed, and I had.
Speaker B:I wanted you to sell that to me, you would be able to sell it to me in a.
Speaker B:In a great way, maybe a funny way, but you.
Speaker B:You would have a punch behind it.
Speaker B:I mean, some of the bits that I do aren't always the most perfectly written joke, but I'm fired up delivering it, and I'm making a decent point, and you see where I'm coming from.
Speaker B:And now that you thought about it, I might have a point.
Speaker B:It's.
Speaker B:It doesn't.
Speaker B:The words.
Speaker B:I don't make the words carry every bit of my joke.
Speaker B:I'm going to bring some wind to the sales, and I think the emotional part of that helps.
Speaker A:So you're almost intentional about, like, you're almost selling the premise to the audience that's trying to.
Speaker B:That's exactly right.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Which feels more natural to me.
Speaker B:And like.
Speaker B:And I'm gonna be more hunkered down in it because, like, if I feel this way about it, say the first line or two doesn't land.
Speaker B:Well, I'm not in my notebook and I'm not scared because there's not a period at the end of this sentence.
Speaker B:This is a real thoughts.
Speaker B:So I'm gonna go, well, hold on.
Speaker B:You don't like that.
Speaker B:Hear me out.
Speaker B:Hear me out.
Speaker B:And I'm able to write in the moment.
Speaker B:I'm not a riffer.
Speaker B:I mean, you've seen my set.
Speaker B:I'll riff within the set, and I'll riff about the city at the top of my set, but I'm not going on a tangent, leaving my set and coming back to it.
Speaker B:My brain doesn't work that way.
Speaker B:But if I'm passionate about a point, I'll make some extra points on stage that aren't in my notebook that I'm thinking about, you know, in the moment.
Speaker B:And I think that that comes from already being emotionally invested.
Speaker A:Yeah, that's what was fun to watch you work live, just to pay attention to.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker A:You're like.
Speaker A:You're emotionally high, and it comes off like you're flying off the handle.
Speaker A:But like, even, like, your word choice and it's.
Speaker A:I mean, I don't want to give away any.
Speaker A:Your bits.
Speaker A:But even, like, you talk about your fiance and how you eat ice cream versus she does, and you talk about, like, the grading and how long it's going to take.
Speaker A:Like.
Speaker B:Yeah, it's.
Speaker A:Yeah, it looks conversational, but it seems like you're very specific in how you word this stuff as well.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Now, you know, that's.
Speaker B:I talk that way.
Speaker B:Oh, okay.
Speaker B:Which is great.
Speaker A:Which is.
Speaker B:Works for me.
Speaker B:I describe things in a unique way.
Speaker B:I say things in a unique way, and I hope that doesn't come across as vain.
Speaker B:But that's just.
Speaker B:I would be that Southerner at your job where I would describe our boss and you'd go, my God, that's hilarious.
Speaker B:I've never even put it.
Speaker B:Heard it put.
Speaker B:Because I use.
Speaker B:I.
Speaker B:I'm.
Speaker B:I use analogies just relentlessly in my life to describe things and talk about things.
Speaker B:And when I'm talking about the ice cream, that's kind of what I'm doing, too.
Speaker B:I'm.
Speaker B:Visually.
Speaker B:It's going to take me an hour to grade this out.
Speaker B:I've never seen elevation changes like this.
Speaker B:You know, the words.
Speaker B:You know, that's why, you know, when people say, what's Southern comedy?
Speaker B:I think that's some of it.
Speaker B:Southerners truly have a way with words, for sure.
Speaker B:And.
Speaker B:And that's kind of what I hope comes through, you know, in the jokes.
Speaker A:And it's funny because you started out watching, like, Comic View.
Speaker B:Yeah, I did.
Speaker A:So the fact that.
Speaker A:You bet.
Speaker B:Comic View was my favorite thing in the world.
Speaker B:I mean, Bruce.
Speaker B:Bruce would come on all these other guys.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:I mean, that's the type of comedy that I enjoyed.
Speaker B:You know, I watched Robin Williams live on Broadway One of my all time favorite specials.
Speaker B:That's another one that influenced me a lot.
Speaker B:Anything that wasn't like, I actually like the stuff that wasn't just standing there.
Speaker B:And, you know, as I've gone on in my career and, you know, you realize how hard joke writing is and all that, my respect for the craft of joke writing is totally changed now.
Speaker B:Now if you're somebody who doesn't move on stage, you just deliver zingers, you're a hero to me.
Speaker B:But when I was growing up and as a comedy fan, my life before this, I wanted to see you work.
Speaker B:I wanted to see that.
Speaker B:I wanted to see you run around, talk, yell, do act outs, light yourself on fire.
Speaker B:You know, I wanted to see that.
Speaker B:And so, yeah, that's definitely.
Speaker B:There's some of that in my act.
Speaker B:You know, I mean, Bill Burr, Ron White, Robin Williams, all big influences in my life, watching comedy.
Speaker A:Are there any other.
Speaker A:I'm trying to think even like you talking about just standing there and zinging like Larry the Cable guy.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:I mean, it's just like punch, punch, punch, punch, punch, punch, punch, punch, punch, punch, punch, punch.
Speaker A:And he's like, he's not really big and boisterous.
Speaker B:Not at all.
Speaker A:But he's just in the pocket there.
Speaker B:Yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure.
Speaker B:And he's got a character.
Speaker B:Great writing.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:But I mean, I was always, you know, when it came to blue collar comedy, I mean, I loved Larry and Jeff is just one of the best guys ever.
Speaker B:I know.
Speaker B:You know Jeff.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:Top notch, dude.
Speaker B:Great joke writer.
Speaker B:But Ron White was truly relatable for me.
Speaker B:I mean, his storytelling and the way he talks.
Speaker B:So.
Speaker B:But yeah, I've always.
Speaker B:So kind of a mix.
Speaker B:I like how Bill Burr, I've always liked his rantiness and how he doesn't play to the crowd.
Speaker B:You know, he's not up there dancing for them.
Speaker B:He's kind of.
Speaker B:He was the first comic I ever saw look at a paying audience and be like, I think all you guys are idiots.
Speaker B:And for me, I kind of enjoyed that and I still do to this day.
Speaker B:So.
Speaker B:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker B:Inspiration from a few of those guys.
Speaker A:Have you, have you worked with Ron?
Speaker B:No, no.
Speaker B:But I've hung out with Ron a couple times.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:And you know, I did like, you know, I was on.
Speaker B:Ron did a guest spot on a show that I did in Denver, but not truly, like build with him or working with him.
Speaker B:I used to do something wild for Ron White.
Speaker B:This is a great.
Speaker B:This is.
Speaker B:I've never talked about this on a Podcast.
Speaker B:So this is great.
Speaker B:His.
Speaker B:His head writer, Chris, both lives in Denver, and Chris is a west coast guy.
Speaker B:He grew up in.
Speaker B:What is it, Chica, California, Chico, Chica, something like that.
Speaker B:But anyways, he's a great writer.
Speaker B:Voth is.
Speaker B:But he was writing for Ron, and Ron was like, you've got this west coast writing style.
Speaker B:He goes, I need to see this in my voice or with somebody that's similar to me.
Speaker B:And so they hired me to run Vaulth's jokes at Comedy Works, and they would send them to Ron as a test to see if Ron liked them, and then Ron would try them out.
Speaker B:And I did that for, like, a year.
Speaker A:What?
Speaker B:Where I would get up on stage and I would do these jokes in, you know, my regular voice.
Speaker B:I mean, one time Ron came back and went, hey, man, tell that guy to slow down.
Speaker B:He goes, I'm from Texas, man.
Speaker B:We all.
Speaker B:We.
Speaker B:You know.
Speaker B:He goes, we all.
Speaker B:We all talk like we're on Benadryl.
Speaker B:He goes, this guy sounds like he's selling a car.
Speaker B:And so I did that for, like, a year.
Speaker B:But I couldn't stand it, Joel, for the simple fact that sometimes I would go up in front of other people and bomb with material, unworked material, and my pride couldn't handle it.
Speaker B:I quit that job in the middle of a set at Comedy Works.
Speaker B:I was in the middle of telling a joke, and also, you know, let's keep it real, Ron.
Speaker B:I love Ron.
Speaker B:Ron's dirty.
Speaker B:And you forget that because of the blue collar commentator.
Speaker B:And I'm sure some of y'all have learned, like, even as a big Ron fan, you'll get deep into his catalog, and you'll go, he's the dirtiest comic I've ever heard.
Speaker B:I mean, wild.
Speaker B:But it was a real dirty joke.
Speaker B:And I was doing it at Comedy Works, and I hated it.
Speaker B:And in the middle of the joke, I go.
Speaker B:I.
Speaker B:I go, this isn't my material, and I'm not doing it anymore.
Speaker B:I go, I'm gonna do my stuff.
Speaker B:And I got up there, and I finished the set with, like, two or three of my jokes.
Speaker B:When I got off stage, both was like, well, I guess you don't want to do this anymore.
Speaker B:And so that was the time that I.
Speaker B:A unique experience for sure.
Speaker A:Oh, my gosh.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Did the Comedy Works know that you were doing this?
Speaker B:No, but they didn't care.
Speaker B:You know, this was Tuesday night, new talent night, which is, like, okay, really, like, kind of similar to an open mic, but a little bit more Professionally ran, if you will.
Speaker B:And I can get up there and do whatever five to seven that I want for the most part.
Speaker B:And, you know, sometimes the jokes were great.
Speaker B:You know, Vault's a great writer, but sometimes it was real experimental and is real tough, man.
Speaker B:I mean, nobody wants to get up there.
Speaker B:I don't mind not bombing.
Speaker B:You know, I don't mind bombing sometimes, but let it be my stuff, right?
Speaker A:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker A:So, yeah, you're getting paid to bomb, though.
Speaker B:I was getting paid to bomb, which was.
Speaker B:Which was wild, too.
Speaker B:And back then I was a sucker for any.
Speaker B:I mean, any money, of course.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:And so.
Speaker B:But yeah, that was a really unique experience.
Speaker A:It did.
Speaker A:Does Larry have a writer, too?
Speaker B:I don't.
Speaker B:I don't know.
Speaker B:You know, and I know that those guys, like Ron will write for himself a good bit, but when you're constantly turning over an hour.
Speaker B:Exactly.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:They'll bring guys on board and kind of help them write, punch up stuff.
Speaker B:Because Ron's going to take.
Speaker B:You know, Ron is going to take and change and make everything his own.
Speaker B:He just needs to see that it has some legs.
Speaker B:But I think Larry has had a writer before in his life, but when I was out on the road with him, Larry was.
Speaker B:Was writing all his own stuff.
Speaker A:Oh, okay.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Because I know he's just like, joke, joke, joke, joke.
Speaker A:So that.
Speaker A:That's a lot of output.
Speaker A:That is for like, just set up punch, setup, punch.
Speaker A:Setup, punch.
Speaker A:It's like, that's a lot of.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Pin work to really get all that out for sure.
Speaker B:And Ron's mastered his delivery to where Ron could tell a bad joke really well.
Speaker B:You know, it's.
Speaker B:It's a little bit different of a style because, like, I mean, Ron's a great writer, but his paws should be in the hall of fame.
Speaker B:Just the pause before, it's like.
Speaker B:I don't know how to explain it, but some comics have that pause where they can stop for a second, and then when they start again, it just.
Speaker A:Yeah, yeah, that's what he.
Speaker A:He used to.
Speaker A:I think he lives in the Atlanta area and he would pop around and do some shows.
Speaker A:And I, He.
Speaker A:I was talking to him one time after, like, it was like an open mic.
Speaker A:And he was.
Speaker A:And he said.
Speaker A:Because I was talking to him about his pacing, I mean, he would never remember this.
Speaker A:This was like.
Speaker A:But he was talking.
Speaker A:I was asking about his pacing, and he's like.
Speaker A:He's like, slow down.
Speaker A:And when you think you're going too slow, slow down even more.
Speaker A:That was his advice.
Speaker B:That sounds like a good advice for you, Ron.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:Yeah, that's exactly right.
Speaker A:Is he stoned?
Speaker A:He's like, so you got to slow down.
Speaker B:Even slower.
Speaker B:He goes, I'll tell you what works.
Speaker B:Don't say anything.
Speaker A:Right, right, right, right, right, right.
Speaker A:But it's also kind of like how you can put material through your.
Speaker A:Your identity.
Speaker B:That's right.
Speaker A:And kind of almost stroopify it.
Speaker B:That's right.
Speaker A:I've heard Chris Rock will do that as well.
Speaker A:He'll work out material like monotone, and then Chris Rock ify it.
Speaker A:But he wants to know, just delivering it monotone, that it'll still hit.
Speaker B:Yeah, that's.
Speaker B:That's like.
Speaker B:I've heard that too.
Speaker B:And I think that's kind of a famous thing he does because he goes, well, if this work, if this joke can work without any sauce, then when I add some to it, it's going to take off.
Speaker B:Yeah, that makes sense to me.
Speaker A:We have shows tonight, but I just appreciate your time even doing this, man.
Speaker B:Joel, thank you so much for having me.
Speaker B:I.
Speaker B:You've had this podcast for a long time, and I've been keeping up with it.
Speaker B:Really, man, It's.
Speaker B:I was excited when you asked me to do it, so thanks for letting me.
Speaker B:Thanks for letting me come on.
Speaker A:Of course.
Speaker A:I just feel like you're at this moment, and I've interviewed a few comics.
Speaker A:I had, like, Mark Norman before he kind of hit.
Speaker A:I mean, I had Nate kind of.
Speaker A:I mean, before he's Nate now he was Nate, but he wasn't like, Arena.
Speaker B:Yeah, that's right.
Speaker A:Top grossing.
Speaker B:That's right.
Speaker A:Comic in the.
Speaker B:That's right.
Speaker A:$80 million.
Speaker B:Insane.
Speaker B:Insane.
Speaker A:So it's cool just to, like, talk to comics.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Who's done cool stuff.
Speaker A:But then it's about to just.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:And it's inspiring to be around somebody like Nate, who is on a rocket ship, and he's clean, and he doesn't budge on that.
Speaker B:And he, you know, he.
Speaker B:I wasn't always a clean comic, and it wasn't for John Crist and Nate and those guys, I wouldn't have found and, you know, just talked some good sense into me.
Speaker B:They were like, you.
Speaker B:Your jokes aren't dirty, you're just talking dirty.
Speaker B:And they were like, there's no reason for you to do that.
Speaker B:And that, you know, changed my career, and I'm thankful for that.
Speaker B:Clean comedy is the way to go.
Speaker B:Yep.
Speaker B:By far.
Speaker B:I preach it to everybody that'll listen.
Speaker B:Now, these young comics, I try to Save them.
Speaker B:I go, I mean, you can, you can be broke and make all your friends laugh or you can not look at the power bill and keep it in between the lines.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:You know what I mean?
Speaker A:But, yeah, yeah, that's, I mean, even with, with me this year, I, I've always been clean, but, but this year I've branded myself as clean.
Speaker A:Like my website says clean.
Speaker B:Good, good.
Speaker A:Everything on my social media, it's like clean comedy.
Speaker A:Like, I've just, I'm leaning all in on clean now.
Speaker A:It is like a business decision to me.
Speaker B:It is a business decision.
Speaker B:I mean, I, I'm clean.
Speaker B:You know, I, like, always compare, like, Dusty and me.
Speaker B:Like, I'm kind of the bad boy of clean comedy.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:I'm, I'm walking the line.
Speaker B:You're not going to hear any cuss words or anything, but I'm walking the, you know, I'm not a church comic, you know, but I'm not, There's, there's no, there's not going to be any shocking things said.
Speaker B:But yeah, it's, it's a lot of fun.
Speaker B:It's made me a better writer because I can't just get away with ending it with a curse word or something.
Speaker B:I gotta write a whole joke and use whole words and whole thoughts and, you know, it's a fun, fun way to do comedy.
Speaker A:And that's what I'll tell comics too, is you can still have the dirty idea.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Have the dirty joke.
Speaker A:Just don't stop at the dirty joke.
Speaker B:That's right.
Speaker A:Keep working it to make it clean.
Speaker B:100 and it'll be a better.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:And it'll travel more.
Speaker B:I've never had anybody, and I know you'd say this to Joel, nobody's ever came up to me after a show and went, those jokes were really good, man.
Speaker B:But if you'd have cussed a little bit, you could have sent us over the top.
Speaker B:Just like one F word.
Speaker B:I think we'd all went crazy.
Speaker B:Never happened.
Speaker B:Everybody goes, thanks for being clean.
Speaker B:That was a really fun show.
Speaker B:And, you know, and that, and that feels good to have a product that travels and everybody's excited to see, you know.
Speaker A:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker B:Your parents will be a lot more proud of you.
Speaker A:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker B:That's for sure.
Speaker A:What are some adjustments you made to dirty jokes to make them clean?
Speaker A:How would you kind of, for me.
Speaker B:I, I, I, I have never wrote dirty at all.
Speaker B:It was just about not using a curse word.
Speaker B:I unfortunately had a little bit of a dirty mouth on me.
Speaker B:And so I would just say a cuss word in a place that it didn't even belong.
Speaker B:So the adjustment wasn't even hard in that regard.
Speaker B:It just was just something I had to be conscious of and know that I'm a brand and there's expectations and.
Speaker B:And, you know, once you hook up with Nate and you become part of his brand, there is no, you know, in the back of your mind.
Speaker B:He's in the back of every room going, yeah, say something, Derek.
Speaker B:Say it one time.
Speaker B:Tell me you can't write a real joke, buddy.
Speaker B:But no, he.
Speaker B:He's.
Speaker B:He's great.
Speaker B:And the whole journey's been great.
Speaker A:So how long you been working with him?
Speaker B:Two years.
Speaker A:Nate.
Speaker A:Two years?
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:How did you link up?
Speaker B:Same manager.
Speaker A:Wow.
Speaker B:I got a new manager.
Speaker B:Alex Murray became my manager about a year and a half ago, and he got us linked up, and me and Nate became fast friends.
Speaker B:We get along really well in real life.
Speaker B:I mean, it's a true Chris Farley, David Spade type vibe.
Speaker B:Hilarious.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:I mean, I'm, like, losing my mind, and Nate's making very subtle sarcastic comments about how I'm an idiot.
Speaker B:And it's.
Speaker B:It's fun.
Speaker B:It's a good time.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Even the people I met after your show because you sold out all the shows.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Which is great.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Thanks, man.
Speaker A:Congratulations on that.
Speaker B:Thank you.
Speaker B:Thank you.
Speaker A:Several people talked to me after and were like, yeah, we.
Speaker A:We learned about Derek from Nate's Christmas special.
Speaker A:Several people told me that, yeah, it was huge.
Speaker B:That changed.
Speaker B:Changed my career.
Speaker B:Really?
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Yeah, man.
Speaker B:There was a lot of eyes on that, and I had a hot set.
Speaker B:I had had some hot material lined up, and.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:And.
Speaker B:And that has done a lot for me.
Speaker B:The.
Speaker B:The momentum is.
Speaker B:Is definitely there, so.
Speaker A:Well, I'm so grateful to capture this.
Speaker A:This is a time capsule in your career, man.
Speaker A:I appreciate you entrusting it.
Speaker B:Yeah, of course, man.
Speaker B:Thanks for having me, Joel.
Speaker B:I really appreciate it.
Speaker B:You're so funny, so kind, so thank you, buddy.
Speaker A:Do you have any closing advice for comedians out there?
Speaker B:You.
Speaker B:You know, I touched on it for a second, but writing for the back of the room will get you anywhere.
Speaker B:Write jokes for real people and real audiences in the middle of America.
Speaker B:I got a lot of friends in Denver that are still crushing the back of the room with edgy material.
Speaker B:And unfortunately, I don't know if they'll ever make it because you got to write jokes for the people.
Speaker B:And so I think that, you know, it's not, like, profound advice, but that's.
Speaker B:That I think that made a difference in my career.
Speaker B:I never.
Speaker B:I never did jokes for the back of the room.
Speaker A:Beautiful.
Speaker A:Well, where.
Speaker A:Where do you want people to follow you or check out your tour that you're on?
Speaker A:And yeah, Derek live.
Speaker B:Yeah, Derek Stroop.
Speaker B:Comedy.com is the website.
Speaker B:I'll have all my.
Speaker B:All my tour dates there.
Speaker B:Derek yells on Instagram and Derek yells on TikTok.
Speaker B:That's where you can find me.
Speaker A:So there you have it.
Speaker A:Hot breath averse.
Speaker A:Go follow Derek.
Speaker A:Go see him live.
Speaker A:This is legit.
Speaker A:One of the hottest comics coming out of the scene.
Speaker A:Probably the comic of the year.
Speaker A:This year.
Speaker A:We're calling it now.
Speaker B:Calling it now.
Speaker A:Calling it Derek.
Speaker A:So go follow Derek.
Speaker A:Subscribe to our YouTube channel, and we will see y'all next week.
Speaker A:Thank you.
Speaker A:Hot breath verse.
Speaker A:Hot breath.
