Bentzen Ball Alumni Dave Hill will be performing at 3 Chord Comedy tonight at 7PM. In anticipation of this awesome event, we had another alum, Eli Sairs sit down for an interview with the King of Miami:
Eli Sairs: Hey, Dave.
Dave Hill: Hey how are you?
ES: I’m doin’ fine, how about yourself?
DH: I’m doin’ alright.
ES: First off, I know you spend a lot of time in DC. You have some ties to the area?
DH: Yeah, I have a lot of friends down there, so I’m pretty familiar…sort of an honorary citizen I guess, in a way. I’ve spent a lot of time there over the years. I get into trouble there when I can… yeah, I’m a big fan of it. I’ve played there in bands a lot. Actually, at the Velvet Lounge.
ES: Oh really, has Valley Lodge (http://www.valleylodgeband.com/) played there?
DH: No, but I played in DC when I was in a band called Cobra Verde, a Cleveland band. Had kind of an overlap with Guided By Voices, some of the same members. I had another band, Uptown Sinclair, that played at Velvet Lounge and Black Cat. And then with comedy, I think probably the Bentzen Ball, that was maybe the first thing I’ve done their…
ES: Speaking of the music, you juggle both that and comedy, and you’re pretty successful at both. Does one take the forefront?
DH: I got into comedy sort of through music, but I always played guitar or bass and was content to sit on the side and play. Then out of necessity I started singing, and from that I enjoyed talking in between songs. I think between that and being a writer, that’s how I began doing comedy. I enjoy both, but just from a practical level, comedy is how I make my living. I like rockin’ out. Pretty much when I’m at home, I just sit there all day -- I’m either writing or playing guitar. I’m like, just typing, then I play guitar solos for a little bit.
ES: That’s a pretty fantastic lifestyle.
DH: That’s pretty much what I do all day.
ES: Could you talk a little about Witch Taint? (http://theblackmetaldialogues.com/)
DH: Sure. Witch Taint is my fake Norwegian Black Metal Band. It started like 7 years ago….You’re familiar with Norwegian black metal?
ES: Yes, but I couldn’t like, quote lyrics or name favorite bands or anything like that.
DH: Oh, that’s ok. You know, it’s like super-Satanic heavy metal with like, Church burnings, and murders…
ES: Yeah, I skimmed that book, it looked pretty crazy…
DH: Oh, Lords of Chaos.
ES: Yeah, that’s it.
DH: Well, that’s how it started, I was reading that book, and was really into it, just on like a “Holy shit” level, you know, “these people are so crazy.” So I started doin’ those e-mails. Just to entertain myself, I started to e-mail these Norwegian black metal bands, pretending to be this teenager from Indiana who lives with his mom and works at Subway and like, thinks he’s the most satanic heavy metal bad-ass of all time. I did it really just to entertain myself, I’d e-mail this guy just before I went to bed every night, and it just started a thing.
ES: It’s pretty hysterical how easily the guy buys into it.
DH: Oh thanks, yeah I think it’s a testament to how insane that whole scene is. That he took it so seriously.
ES: Yeah, that he really had something to prove to this kid.
DH: Yeah, but like, if you look at all the nutty stuff that these guys have done, you can sort of see why he was like “Oh yeah, this guys’ for real.”
ES: Did that ever worry you -- that you might be talking to someone who’s taken human life and burned churches and things?
DH: I guess I didn’t think about what he’s done. I sorta gathered he hasn’t. It’s pretty interesting, cause by the end of it he’s like “Hey, you know there’s more to life than Satan and black metal. I’m married with kids n’ stuff,” and it’s kind of amazing ‘cause he ends up talking back to this kid and then being like “Hey, I was once like you, but there’s more to life.” It’s kind of amazing.
ES: There’s a whole story arc.
DH: Yeah.
ES: BYT asked me to ask this, which metal bands are the biggest pussies?
DH: Biggest pussies…I have to think about that…I dunno, ‘cause it depends on how you define metal… if you go all the way into hair metal, then you’d be there all day long…gosh, who should I go after? I guess I should just say Slayer….even though I don’t think they’re pussies…I like Slayer…
ES: No that’s fine, I think they intend for everyone to answer ironically, and just didn’t count on you actually being such a huge metal fan.
DH: (laughs) Yes, it’s a hard question to answer. I will say, I think there are a lot of horrible metal bands out there now. There’s not many I’ll really listen too, as far as contemporary metal…almost any that formed after 1990 are probably pussies.
ES: Anyone who’s looked at your site (www.davehillonline.com) knows you’re active in a lot of types of comedy. Videos, radio work, you’ve written tons of comedic pieces -- and not to mention being funny several times a day on Twitter (http://twitter.com/mrdavehill). I’d be overwhelmed. Do you ever wanna just focus on one outlet?
DH: I think I just like doing a lot of stuff. I’m kind of a late bloomer in comedy. I didn’t get into it, at least the performance end of it, until like 5 years ago. I didn’t start doing standup in college or anything like that, and wasn’t in plays or anything, so everything is relatively new to me, and exciting. But I do think I could accomplish more in a couple areas if I didn’t go down lots of other areas.
ES: I think it’s a good thing that you do it. It seems like writer’s block is never an issue with you. You constantly have an output.
DH: Well, one thing I do try to do is write every day. Even when I started, I tried to write everyday about just anything, even what I had for breakfast, ‘cause - I’m sure you know - such a hard part of it is just sitting down in front of a blank page. You’re just like “Fuck. What am I gonna do.” So I just keep writing no matter what, and then the anxiety of writing is not really a thing; then it’s just the ideas. And then with Twitter, I know I Twitter too much, part of my performance art is I’m trying to destroy twitter, by over-Twittering. But it’s a fun thing, to just throw quick thoughts out there, just being silly all day long. You know how the statistic: ‘you spend a third of your life asleep?’ I think one day there will be all these terrifying statistics, like you spend 10 percent of your life on Twitter, or something. I’m trying to get my computer set up so it kicks you off the internet, for huge chunks of your day.
ES: That’s a good idea. With comedy -- sometimes I worry that any act that is kinda off-kilter is always gonna have just a kinda cultish, underground success. You’re act is pretty off-beat -- is that ever a concern for you, do you ever think that being off-beat will give you limited mainstream success, or do you worry about just being funny and whatever happens will happen?
DH: I mean, a little bit of both. I think there’s a perception of me as being off-beat or weird or whatever, but if I knew how to be more mainstream and broad…well, I’m not saying I’d do it, but I’d be thrilled if I could. But it’s just not who I am. I just kinda try to entertain myself, or I try to entertain the 15 year old me; like “what would me and my friends have wanted to see when I was that age?” I think entertainment executives will say “Oh its’ weird,” or people will say that I’m cerebral or something. But I think it’s ridiculous, ‘cause I meet people who are into what I do all the time and it’s a pretty wide range of people. Especially fans of “King of Miami.” Most people who are into that show seem to be pretty regular dudes.
ES: I was watching a clip of yours describing how you booked a show in a prison, and how you regretted booking it the next day, saying it was “like a horrible prank I played on myself.” That bit would work in a regular comedy club, I think…and if your act works in a prison…
DH: Yeah, well I think the only limitation is if the audience is only familiar with standup as very traditional joke-telling, then it may be harder for them to get on board with it at first. I mean, funny is funny, I think. And I think there are many parallels in music. You look at occasional periods of time when really good music is popular music. Look at when Nirvana became big. I think people can be lead to take a moment and then be like “Oh yeah, I get it.” But if you were to just throw Nirvana on the radio, without giving people time…
ES: Without the whole transition period, Husker Du and everyone leading up to it…
DH: Yeah, exactly. But the prison thing is a great example, because yeah, in the days leading up to it I was terrified. That demographic couldn’t have been further from what I normally perform for. Not people from the suburbs of Cleveland. Totally different dudes, and it went great…funny is funny… I’m probably rambling, but to answer your question, I do worry about it. I was in London and shows went great and the write-ups over there were calling me a “cult comedian.” I’m like “Oh, that makes me sound really cool, but it also makes me sound….really not that popular.” I wanna just have fun and keep doing what I do, and the key to that is more people.
ES: Yeah, there’s sometimes an attitude that it should be “let’s just talk to comedy nerds.” And comedy nerds are fine, but it’s a very small portion of people in the world.
DH: Yeah, and I also find that people that maybe only know mainstream stand-up sometimes really appreciate it when someone comes in and does something they’ve never seen before. If you think about it, someone like Andy Kaufman-- he was weird, but the guy was in mainstream comedy.
ES: On late shows…
DH: Yeah, and the guy’s a legend. I think people have always been open to that.
ES: Do you have any projects you wanna plug?
DH: Right now I’m just doing shows, writing stuff…I’ve been doing my one-man show, “Big in Japan.” Maybe I’ll do a snippet of that this week. But yeah, I’m just kinda doin’ my thing.
ES: We’re looking forward to the show. Thanks for comin’ down.
DH: Thanks for having me, and I look forward to seeing you again too; I thought you were great at the Studio Theatre, or whatever it was called, in the Bentzen Ball.
ES: Thank you for the compliment, I will be sure it finds its way into the final draft of this interview.
DH: Perfect. You can say that’s what I’m most looking forward to. I’m most looking forward to seeing you. And DC. I like DC. I’m a big fan.
ES: I’m sorry if this was longer than expected.
DH: No not at all, I am always happy to talk about myself.
Dave Hill will be at The Velvet Lounge this Friday, February 26 at 7 pm for $4. Also performing are Justin Schlegel, Jeff Maurer and Eli Sairs
FOR MORE COMEDY SCOOP Check out our weekly Comedy Guide
Previously in comedy:
- 2/10: Behind The Desk 35: Spotting THE Crazy In the Arts (Vol. 2)
- 2/7: LiveDC: Demetri Martin @ Warner Theatre
- 1/24: LiveDC: Adam Carolla @ Fillmore
- 1/20: Behind The Desk 32: Eddie Brill Is Common
- 1/17: LiveDC: JB Smoove @ 930 Club
- 12/8: Tom Arnold - Up Close & Very Nice
- 12/5: LiveDC: Michael Ian Black @ Sixth and I Synagogue
- 12/5: Lauren Weedman-BUSTED
- 12/1: R.I.P. Patrice O'Neal - brilliant 1969 to 2011
- 11/30: BYT Interview: Michael Ian Black
God loves a cheerful giver.
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