TJ Habersaat Doing Time stand-up comedy book interview

New York Post

4 days ago

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In 2021, comedian JT Habersaat was sitting at home when an epiphany dawned upon him.
'I was reading a lot of books at the time and realized there's no real oral history of stand up,'The Godfather of Punk Rock Comedy' told The Post in an exclusive interview. 'There was a 'Saturday Night Live' one, which was really great, and there were some others that dipped their toe in the water but nothing like what I had in my head.'
So, for the next three years, Habersaat, 49, took it upon himself to contact well-known comic friends of his like Weird Al Yankovic, Patton Oswalt, Maria Bamford, Doug Stanhope and the cast of 'Kids In The Hall' as well as dozens of underground road dogs who haven't had their moment in the sun yet to share their warts and all experiences from starting out at open mics (Part One: 'Humble Beginnings') to dealing with hecklers (Part Two: 'The Life') to anything and everything in between (Part Three: 'Check Drop') in his recently-released tome 'Doing Time.'
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'It's a 155,000 word mixtape,' Habersaat quipped. 'If I start to think about the work that went into it, my head hurts.'
When viewed from a 10,000-foot vantage point, readers will find that the multi-talented comic-author has created a hybrid of the best of comedy podcasts like Marc Maron's 'WTF,' Pete Holmes' 'You Made It Weird' and Mike Birbiglia's 'Working It Out' with a laser focus on what the experience of slinging jokes and make 'em ups onstage is really like.
Habersaat explained 'it's important for comics and comedy fans to hear from Patton Oswalt about when he was sleeping on floors or when Todd Glass was 20 and opening for Gloria Gaynor at a state fair. It humanizes everyone.'
Now, with the book on shelves, the DIY artist is promoting 'Doing Time' and on the road opening for Brian Posehn, who fans may remember from 'The Big Bang Theory,' 'Just Shoot Me' and 'Mr. Show with Bob and David.'
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The pair will be at NYC's City Winery on Monday, July 21.
For more on 'Doing Time,' working with Posehn (as well as with the 'Bitter Buddha' Eddie Pepitone) and everything in between, check out our chat with Habersaat below.
Why should people read 'Doing Time'?
There have been a lot of books about the history of comedy but not really one about people that do it at a bunch of different levels. My book is full of comedians telling you 'this is what it's really like.'
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Also, I feel like a lot of people are unaware that there's a working class comedy scene. Comedians like Carmen Morales, Dante Powell, Mo Alexander. They're comics and it's their job.
What inspired you to become a chronicler of comedians?
With much aggravation, I realized I was the guy for the job and this was something that I felt really needed to exist.
When writing, it was important for me to not insert myself into the book. I wanted to be an archivist, stay quiet and let the people speak. The goal was for 'Doing Time'to be warts and all, but not tabloid-y. I wasn't looking for people to talk s– which can make for juicy reading.
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Who was your favorite person to interview?
Gregg Turkington, who plays Neil Hamburger onstage. He hadn't done interviews in over a decade.
I didn't know he used to road manage Mr. Bungle and Link Wray. He did a lot of rock and roll stuff. After a pre-interview, he finally agreed to participate and we talked for almost three hours. Now we're good pals.
And now he's back to not doing interviews.
What 's Brian Posehn's act like these days?
We've been doing shows together for well over a decade. When we first met, he was much more considered the 'metal guy' and I was much more the 'punk rock guy.' So we really bonded on that front.
Nowadays, Brian's act is a lot more experience and observational-based. He isn't telling as many rad Slayer stories. He's talking about what it's like to be an aging metalhead stoner raising a 15-year-old and having strangers come up to you and say 'you're the nerdy geologist from 'The Big Bang Theory'' while wearing a Slayer shirt.
He'll also talk about very serious things about a near-fatal car wreck he was in last year to absurd moments on the road.
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Do you guys have anything special planned for the City Winery show on July 21?
Sometimes we invite secret guests because it's New York City. We've had people like Todd Barry and Gary Gulman. Different people drop in. You don't know who's going to be with us.
And, since we haven't seen each other in awhile, Brian and I are going to be in really high spirits. For two curmudgeons, that always makes for a good show.
Plus, because it's New York, you want to bring it a little extra.
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What's it like opening for Eddie Pepitone?
The best. What's so unique about him is that he doesn't do crowd work, but he pulls things out of the air every night.
I've seen him do a headline set without even touching his material. Not like 'you there, sir. What do you do for a living?' He's not good at that but he'll pull s— out of the air from us walking around a particular city during the day. I have never met another comic that can do what he does.
We have we have a bunch of dates kicking off the end of this month on the East Coast for a week of shows.
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(Editor's Note: Pepitone is on tour this September and October).
Chicago Now christened you the 'godfather of punk rock comedy.' What inspired that title?
When I first started doing standup, I opened for a lot of bands like Riverboat Gamblers, Off With Their Heads, The Murder Junkies, The Sword and Lydia Lunch and did stuff like the Van's Warped Tour and the Punk Rock Bowling Fest in Las Vegas.
So my background has always had one foot in that world. Before I got into standup, I ran Altercation Magazine and I've always gravitated more towards nontraditional. For better or worse, punk rock is in my DNA, I can't escape it.
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What would you say has been the craziest moment of your career?
Working with Andy Dick. He was beyond intoxicated, wearing a dress and singing Christmas carols. He did 25 minutes ago, flipped up his dress, said 'here's my balls' and then fell offstage.
What do you think stand-up comedy looks like in ten years?
Bill Burr is probably going to be doing important work. I think Jim Jefferies and Doug Stanhope are still going to be doing it. And I think Maria Bamford is going to be doing some amazing left-of-center Andy Kaufman stuff.
I think there's going to be a lightning strike and a fire burnout at a certain point. And the people that are left standing, much like in the nineties, if it's in their blood, they're still going to be doing it.
I don't think standup will be as omnipresent as it is right now in ten years, but I think it's always going to be there.
Other than standup, what is next for you?
I have a screenplay idea I'd like to tackle.
After that, I'd like to work on a new hour. My last hour came out like two years ago. So I've got a new 30 minutes, but I'd like to finalize a new hour.
And, I want to launch an independent film festival that encompasses horror, cult and punk rock documentaries.
Basically a lot of things that are very creatively fulfilling but not necessarily moneymakers.
What comics really excite you these days?
There's a comic in Austin named Avery Moore. She's done Just For Laughs and is part of a hilarious duo called The McCuewans with Mike Wiebe , which is a fake Christian couple that doesn't know they're repressed.
Jim Jefferies. He has a control of a large crowd unlike anyone I've ever seen. I don't think he's dropped a beat on any of his specials. That's another level of lion tamer.
Kyle Kinane. He writes at a level that never lacks quality and puts out an incredibly funny new special every year. He keeps getting better and more insightful and more real and more personal.
Chad Daniels. He recorded two specials in the same night because was more cost effective. Two totally different hours, two totally different 500-person crowds. I don't understand how he does it.
Ali Siddiq. He's one of the most natural-born storytellers I've ever seen. It's like one long conversation, moreso than someone doing bits.
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.
Still need more comedy? Check out our list of all the biggest comedians on tour in 2025 to find the show for you.
This article was written by Matt Levy, New York Post live events reporter. Levy stays up-to-date on all the latest tour announcements from your favorite musical artists and comedians, as well as Broadway openings, sporting events and more live shows – and finds great ticket prices online. Since he started his tenure at the Post in 2022, Levy has reviewed a Bruce Springsteen concert and interviewed Melissa Villaseñor of SNL fame, to name a few. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change