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New York Post
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
TJ Habersaat Doing Time stand-up comedy book interview
Vivid Seats is the New York Post's official ticketing partner. We may receive revenue from this partnership for sharing this content and/or when you make a purchase. Featured pricing is subject to change. 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.' Advertisement '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.' Advertisement 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.' Advertisement 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. Advertisement 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. Advertisement 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. Advertisement 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. Advertisement (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. Advertisement 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
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Region invited to help bring Civil War sword home
At 29, the Scranton-born soldier succumbed to injuries received in battle. Creeping up on nearly two centuries later, the Grand Army of the Republic Memorial Association of Scranton and Civil War Museum are vying to bring Lt. Ezra S. Griffin's sword home. They're asking the community to help recover the lost sword by donating funds. The story goes, the Grand Army of the Republic Memorial Association of Scranton is the legal successor to the Grand Army of the Republic Post 139 named after Griffin, who served in Company 'E' of the 143rd Pennsylvania and was present in battles at Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, Spotsylvania Court House, Cold Harbor and Petersburg. * The GAR Memorial Association and the Civil War museum in the Marketplace at Steamtown are raising funds to purchase a Civil War era sword that once belonged to Lt. Ezra Griffin. (Lt. Ezra S. Griffin Camp #8 SUVCW / Submitted) * Lt. Ezra S. Griffin served in Company 'E' of the famed 143rd Pennsylvania and was present in Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, The Wilderness, Spotsylvania Court House, Cold Harbor and Petersburg. Lt. Griffin was wounded at the siege of Petersburg, Virginia on June 18, 1864, and he died at the age of 29 on July 11, 1864, in Annapolis, Maryland due to complications from his injury. (Lt. Ezra S. Griffin Camp #8 SUVCW / Submitted) Show Caption 1 of 2 The GAR Memorial Association and the Civil War museum in the Marketplace at Steamtown are raising funds to purchase a Civil War era sword that once belonged to Lt. Ezra Griffin. (Lt. Ezra S. Griffin Camp #8 SUVCW / Submitted) Expand At one time, the sword was in the association's possession, but following several moves, the sword was misplaced, explained Charlie Spano, a volunteer with the Civil War Museum, who added he's not sure how it landed in its current home with an auctioneer in Arizona. 'It's one of those unsung mysteries of the Civil War,' Spano said. 'We're not sure how it separated from all the other Civil War memorabilia and wound up in this guy's hands, but there it is. We're just glad we found it.' Spano added that the auctioneer has promised to keep the sword, scabbard, belt and sash until June 12, but if it is not purchased for the $6,000 asking price by that time, it will be sold at auction to the highest bidder. Griffin was born in Scranton in 1835 in a frame house between Court Street and Providence Road. Tax records showed he worked in farming, said Nicholas E. Petula, a retired history teacher with the Scranton School District, and author of 'Forgotten Hero, The Life, Letters and Diaries of Lt. Ezra S. Griffin.' Petula wrote the book after 'serendipitously' coming into possession of Griffin's letters and journals written during the Civil War, including among them nearly 50 family letters and at least one letter from his former regiment captain. Petula explained that Griffin's letters and diaries were meticulously written, sharing much information about his experience while at war. On June 18, 1864, the group was charging across an open field when Griffin was injured by bullet, said Petula. Griffin entered into his journal that he had been wounded in charge that day, and 'kind of poo pooed it,' Petula said. It was Griffin's final entry. 'Probably infection set in pretty quickly,' Petula said, adding that Griffin was moved to a hospital in Maryland for treatment where he died about a month later on July 11. In his book, Petula outlined the short but extraordinary life of the local Civil War soldier. 'His whole life was a real mystery, that's why I called the book 'Forgotten Hero,'' Petula said. 'The letters that he wrote and his diary entries, he was so well-written, he was very articulate, he was at every major battle. … He was at some kind of affair in Washington and shook hands with Lincoln. … The guy really was quite the guy, and his letters extremely patriotic.' Petula said 'a lot of people' would be interested in seeing the sword recovered. 'If they knew the background story and got to really know what this guy stood for as far as patriotism at the time, and the way he died, and the story behind the sword, if it's truly the sword, it's certainly an interesting story of how it was taken, how it went, how it got into the hands of this guy, how people found out about it and how people raised the money to get it back,' Petula said. 'It's really a testament to the guys who are raising the money.' Spano said fundraising efforts are, so far, going well. 'We have about 50% of the $6,000 we need to purchase the sword from the auctioneer in Arizona,' he said, adding that two museum fundraisers, in-person donations and an online fundraising initiative will hopefully help them bring in the rest of the money needed to return the sword to its rightful place in history. On April 15, Scranton Art Haus at 301 Lackawanna Ave. will present a screening of the Academy Award winning feature film, 'Lincoln,' at 6 p.m. While the screening is free to the public, the museum hopes it will bring in donations toward the sword's purchase. On May 3, a pasta dinner fundraiser will take place at the Northeast Detachment Marine Corps League, at 1340 Alder St. from noon to 3 p.m. Tickets are $20 per person and can be picked up at the GAR Museum, or by calling 570-604-1812. In-person donations for the sword will be accepted at the museum during business hours, and online donations are being accepted via
Telegraph
05-03-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
The elderly need our help – this memoir lays it bare
'Syndrome de glissement' they call it in France – the destabilisation elderly people experience when they're admitted to a nursing home and their old lives, and identities, are pulled out from beneath them. French sociologist Didier Eribon hadn't heard of the phrase until he checked his 87-year-old mother into a home in Fisme, near Reims. Here the facility's doctor also warned him that the risk of a new patient's death – particularly within the first two months – was 'quite significant'. The medic was right. Eribon's mother survived only seven weeks in an institution where she had no interest in engaging with the 'old women' around her. Nor was she really given the chance: she was only permitted to leave her bed, and its high, cage-like rails, once a week for a shower. With her three sons living in different towns, she stopped eating, drinking and speaking. She died aged 87, a day after Eribon was warned that she would struggle to survive another week. A professor of sociology, best known for his 2009 memoir, Return to Reims, Eribon processes his guilt and grief by analysing his mother as representative of her class, gender and generation. As such, The Life, Old Age and Death of a Working Class Woman slips and slides between the tender, conversational tone of a 71-year-old man remembering his mother and that of a serious academic. More casual readers of this book may find themselves invested in the personal details which begin chapters, and yet find themselves zoning out with their more wordy, abstract conclusions. And as translator Michael Lucey does such a clear fluid job with the more colloquial passages, it seems likely these clunky tonal shifts originate with Eribon. Take, for example, this sentence, which follows a moving passage about Eribon conciliating with his estranged brothers: 'It is surely the presence of this insurmountable contradiction between continuity and discontinuity that allows for a concrete understanding of the twists and turns of a habitus, which is a system of collective constraints that have been inscribed in an individual, and that reach into what is most individual about that individual: it also allows one to see how the reality of a rising trajectory of a split habitus unfolds from day to day.' If you're willing to skip over such muddy puddles of language, however, Eribon tells a frank and moving story. Born in 1930, his mother – whom he never names – was abandoned as a child by a woman later accused of collaborating with Nazi occupiers. She began work as a cleaner aged 14 and married Eribon's father aged 20, a man who would prove violent, jealous and domineering for their 55 years together. Later in life, she made a political swing from the far Left to far Right, a shift Eribon makes sense of as her means of protesting against a society which kept her in her lowly place. As in Return to Reims, Eribon holds himself to account over the way, as an adult, he shed his lowly past. He winces over the shame he felt as a teenager when his mother asked him to help her make extra money, delivering leaflets in the streets near school. That doesn't stop him here still being comically sniffy about her tastes, especially her 'cheesy' romance novels. He says he'd be interested in reading one as part of his research. But – hélas! – he cannot quite bring himself to go into the kind of supermarket that sells them. He's more enthusiastic about her late-life love affair with a younger, married man called André. His mother turned to Eribon to share her obsession because his more socially conservative brothers disapproved. Eribon, though, believes the force of this octogenarian affair kept her alive through a traumatic bowel surgery a few years before her death. (André, however, would withdraw as she became more difficult and demanding. It seems unlikely that he visited her in the nursing home prior to what Eribon thinks was a kind of suicide.) Didier closes his book with an urgent plea for the elderly to be treated with more respect, calling on his fellow intellectuals to speak up for those whose voices are fading. There's a certain irony here, this coming from a man who left it so late to support his ailing mother. But his own case proves his very point. Society must step us for the elderly as a whole – if only because our families so often fail us.
