JIM BREUER

If you're a fan of the O&A show (and let's face it, if you're on this site, you probably are), you're no stranger to Jim Breuer. Jim Breuer is one of a handful of comedians with staying power. He's managed to blend comedy and Heavy Metal, and toured with under the "Heavy Metal Comedy" monniker. I had the chance to catch up with Jim as he was on break at home from the “Lighten Up” tour. The actual interview date was 11/5/2002 @ 5:30 PM EST, but because the whole thing had to be transcribed, it took a few days to get the piece online.

FoundryMusicHammer: I fill Jim in that I’m FoundryMusicHammer and that the interview is going to be posted on FoundryMusic.com, blah, blah, blah, etc, etc.

Jim Breuer: OK

FMH: Steve C sent me some questions because mine are always so serious!

JB: Right, OK.

FMH: I will actually start with his questions.

FMH: Which cast member of Saturday Night Live (past or present) most deserves to be smacked around and why?

Dead silence for a few seconds here...

JB: That’s a gay question. Uh, I don’t know man.

more silence...

JB: Hmm! Um, I don’t know man. I’m a pothead, I don’t smack anybody around.

FMH: That leads into the next question. How much of your monthly income goes into buying weed?

JB: Uh, monthly income is only about a hundred bucks. The rest is given to me free.

FMH: Yeah, on tour.

JB: Pretty much.

FMH: You’re offered $300,000 to take your heavy metal comedy show on the road on a nationwide tour, none of which you have to repay. The only thing is, you have to do one of the following. Which one would you do:
a) Star in a porno movie with a 600-pound male black convict (this is of course, assuming you’re not gay)….

JB: Right (as he snickers)

FMH: b) Eat one pound, no more, no less, of human excrement.
C) Star in a movie with Chris Kattan.

JB: (laughing out loud)That’s funny!

FMH: I guess it is C?

JB: I’ll go with C. This guy is a good listener.

FMH: What are the groupies like for SNL cast members?

JB: If I told you what they are really like you’ll crack up. The real groupies are uh. There are no groupies. They are more like, how do I explain them? Like people that have been watching the show since they were like ten. And they hang out at the end of the show just to get a picture. We never really got groupies.

FMH: Would you ever consider doing a radio show with Stephen Baldwin? (no bullshitting please. We can smell a lie like a fart from a fat girl)

JB: (He again starts laughing his ass off! And quickly says) NO!

FMH: I remember Mr. Baldwin taking over the phones on the Opie & Anthony show once.

FMH: Would you ever do a Goat Boy movie?

JB: NAH!

FMH: That's it for Steve C's questions... Now we can start with mine... What is up with the Lighten Up tour? Is it almost over?

JB: Yeah! I got about three and a half weeks to go. Actually it ends in the middle of December.

FMH: Are you planning on taking time off after that?

JB: Yeah. Then I’m work on a pilot for Comedy Central. It’s a sketch show.

FMH: Really! Ah!

JB: Look for it in the middle of January.

FMH: I was gonna ask the question, Why has Comedy Central been so nice to you?

JB: Well I just pretty much married them. Let’s do a record and a DVD, TV show and tour.

FMH: Are you going to be there for awhile?

JB: Hopefully!

FMH: How are yoru CDs and DVDs selling?

JB: They are both selling better than anticipated but the DVD. It’s weird that the DVD was doing well and now the CD is starting to get a cult following. I think people thought they were the same thing. But I think they are realizing that it to completely different things with the material and everything.

FMH: It is funny that you can see this in "mom and pop" stores and not just the bigger chains.

JB: Exactly!

FMH: Is the “Hokey Pokey” video new on the site?

JB: Is it on the site? I don’t even know. I never even look at the computer. I don’t read fan mail. I don’t have time for that shit. I have too many problems at home, hahaha.

FMH: How was it playing the House Of Blues?

JB: AHHHHH! That’s the best! I like those venues a lot better than clubs.

FMH: Did you get to play with any bands that evening?

JB: No, No. Not like that. You’d think it is but you’re booked for the night and it is just you. Great room though.

FMH: Does it have nice acoustics?

JB: KICK ASS Acoustics!

FMH: Looks nice on TV.

JB: hehehe.

FMH: There is a picture of you on your web site with a Judas Priest shirt on. About how old were you?

JB: I think I just turned seventeen, Hehehe. That’s on the back cover of the Heavy Metal DVD. The Heavy Metal DVD is an hour Rockumentary of them following me around on the road and with my friends. Then it leads to an hour concert.

FMH: And the Hardcore is?

JB: The Comedy Central special.

FMH: What one was at Irving Plaza again?

JB: The Heavy Metal Comedy? That has an hour documentary that leads up to it.

FMH: Have you any new metal DVD’s and albums that you bought and like lately?

JB: I haven’t seen any but I just picked up my first in long time System Of A Down. Love System Of A Down. I love them and Sevendust. That’s my two big bands.

FMH: That’s ironic!

JB: I don’t listen to anyone else. It sounds like they are all together.

FMH: Yea! Sevendust kicks ass!

JB: I can’t wait for their new album. They are on that cusp! They really have the potential to blow up!

FMH: They know how to do it.

JB: They do! They have a Great sound, great guitar, great voice. I love that band. And System Of A Down is untouchable.

FMH: Have you seen the new Maiden DVD?

JB: No! (He screams) Nah, I haven’t seen that one yet.

FMH: It is pretty killer. Lot’s of people in the crowd.

JB: I’m gonna have to check that one out.

FMH: Have you played any new video games?

JB: No. Mine are cheesy. I’m not a real big video guy. I just got the new, what the fucks his name? The computer guy? Bill Gates game or something? (He laughs and says)I don’t know! Let’s just say no.

FMH: Was he just F-ing with me?

JB: I ordered some Star Wars game uh, I don’t know. I got two kids he says in a NY voice. So it takes up 90% of my time at home.

FMH: I didn’t know if I was allowed to talk about that stuff.

JB: I don’t give a shit.

FMH: What would be the ultimate comedy bill to you?

JB: The ultimate comedy bill? Dead or Alive?

FMH: Yup, Dead or Alive.

JB: WOW!

FMH: Even you.

JB: I would say Richard Pryor, Sam Kinison. That the ultimate two animals of all time.

FMH: Is that what you listened to?

JB: Those are the two gods for me.

FMH: What basically got you into this zaniness?

JB: I don’t know man. I guess it is where I grew up. I grew up in Long Island and everyone was just funny who I grew up around.

FMH: So most of it is real.

JB: Real life stuff. Hanging out. Talking about life.

FMH: Is being in comedy like being in an unsigned band?

JB: Pretty much. It’s like that AC/DC, It’s a long way to the top if you want to Rock N Roll is sung. It’s in your pocket. All you want to do is be funny.

FMH: What is the nicest place you’ve ever been to or got sent to?

JB: Scotland!

FMH: Did they think you were funny?

JB: Yeah! It went over good at the Comedy Festivals. I gained twelve pounds from drinking beer. FUN!!! Smoked hash and drank pints of beer.

FMH: Any movies in the works at all?

JB: I’m writing two of them. One I would like to star in. The other one I’m gonna write and direct. I don’t plan on doing them until next summer. I’m concentrating on the TV show right now.

FMH: With the TV show is there anybody on board yet? Who’s gonna be on?

JB: It wouldn’t be any celebrities. It would be a very small cast. It would most likely close friends and relatives. Some of the funniest people I know.

FMH: I was gonna ask if cable gave you a second chance would you do it and you basically said yes.

JB: Cable is the way to do it.

FMH: Would you have any funny sidekicks? Like two people maybe?

JB: Yeah.

FMH: Sitting next to you.

JB: Yeah, as long as it’s funny.

FMH: Would you do any kind of SNL reunions?

JB: If they asked me to, yeah! I already did one. If they asked me for two? Yeah, why not? I liked it there. I didn’t mind being there. I liked it.

FMH: Do you miss it.

JB: No!

FMH: You are putting more of a different variety material on all the releases, DVD, CD… Did you purposely do that?

JB: I don’t wanna overplay it and I get board of telling the same exact story over and over. I’ll give you the story but need to… If I’m not having fun, I just need to have fun up there. 99.9% of the time if you come see me live. You have a premise that is the same. Its not gonna be word for word like you’ve heard on the DVD or on a records or something before. I can’t do that. It’s like when your grandmother tells that one story. Or your uncle, and your like, Oh not this story again!

FMH: Where do you see NY comedy right now?

JB: I hate to say this; I’ve been out of NY comedy clubs for like four years. I couldn’t tell you any of their names. With the exception of Jim Norton or Pete Correale, I couldn’t tell you anybody doing the clubs.

FMH: I’m going to see Norton this week.

JB: He’s hilarious. Him and Vos. I’ve known those guys. Norton is hilarious, Vos always cracks me up. Patrice O’Neal is funny. Um, Pete is really funny. They are the best comics in the country. If I get this show, part of the programming will be exposing comics that aren’t nationally known. And I’d take them and put them on a show only once in a blue moon.

FMH: Do you miss being on a high rated drive time radio show?

JB: No (comes out very loud). I miss Opie and Anthony. Uh, that didn’t go along with every other show. So if you’re asking me if I miss Opie and Anthony, absolutely. Do I miss being on radio? No, because that wasn’t my life. My life was; I popped whenever I wanted to pop in. It was like, hey, I got nothing to do. So I’ll go in and hang out. And if something happens, something happens and if something doesn’t, FUCK! I was just hanging out. I not getting paid so what the fuck do I care.

FMH: I miss the screaming laughter, its just sad.

JB: That is why it was great. It was just a hangout session. It was like; hey you’re here, just hang out! It’ll happen again.

FMH: Hopefully!

JB: I’m sure it will. It’s a bummer for people cause that show was hilarious. And you didn’t realize how good they were until they were gone. Now you listen to Stern and go, yuck ??? He sucks!

FMH: I still don’t listen to Stern.

JB: Nobody touched Opie and Anthony.

FMH: I get to tell Jim about all the tapes of them I have loaded up while writing for the studioboard.

JB: I hope they do something.

FMH: Any new jokes you can unleash on us.

JB: I’m not a Joke teller. I’m a storyteller. We’d be here to long. The act is pretty much new. 80% of the tour is new. YEAH, I’ll talk a little about Goat Boy and get that out of the way. The rest is just me going out.

FMH: I tell him the album is very funny.

JB: Really! I never really listen. I’m the least Hollywood guy you’ll ever talk to. I just do something and it’s done and I move along. I’m already looking at something else. I go by word of mouth. If people like it, they like it. If they don’t, oh well fuck it. Do the next one. When you say like...?

FMH: Really liked “Enter The Wizard”

JB: I knew you’d like that one. We’ll say this about the album. The album like I said is starting to get a cult following. The sales for some bizarre reason, I think because school started? The DVD was kicking butt and still is. Ever since school has been in session the CD is really starting to pick up. It’s weird. I go do shows and it seems like pockets of people are starting to know what “The Wizard” is, I do that at every show now. They yell “THE WIZARD”! Like Oh Shit, “The Wizard”. Haha.

FMH: Funny hearing people screaming Maiden, Maiden at Irving Plaza.

JB: That’s funny man. I’m gonna have to listen to it.

FMH: Where did you get the band? Are they just friends?

JB: They are friends I grew up with. Bassist and the drummer; Jimmy plays on bass and basically got me in the business. When we were growing up I was saying you’re a great musician and he said you’re a great comedian, should go on stage. He egged me on. Larry and Timmy we went to high school. Paul I knew ten years in the stand-up business. I’ve known these guys forever.

FMH: Are you going to go this way with a band behind you?

JB: Without a doubt. There are going to be pockets of me at clubs where I work on new material. The band thing is so much more fun.

FMH: Are you gonna release another CD down the road?



JB: I think so. I think because there is so much new material. We are getting ready to unleash more from this tour. Then we will go out next September. Ya! Man. It depends on how this goes. It is growing but I hope it hits more. I hope people punch into FOUNDRY and people tell the truth if it sucks or it’s great.

FMH: I posted a review of the CD.

JB: Was it good? I didn’t look at it. I never look at reviews.

FMH: It’s decent. I actually bought the damned thing. Then I sent the link of the review to JBMetsfan and then somehow Comedy Central came calling. I tracked your ass down.

JB: You hunted me down.

FMH: I basically did the same thing with Sevendust for Foundry. Interview… With Clint. Show review, album, DVD and passing of names around and BOOM acoustic Sevendust live???

JB: I was there!

FMH: I felt so much was gonna happen for them last record.

JB: So did I. I was disappointed that some songs didn’t hit on radio. They had a lot of potential songs to become hits if they had someone backing them. But they have a huge underground following, hopefully the next record… I want to be in their next music video. I’d love to do that. Send that to them. Them and System Of A Down.

FMH: Do you mind people doing the Goat Boy?

JB: I don’t care, I don’t give a shit. To me it is funny.

FMH: All these years later.

JB: Eight years later and he does the goat impression.

Thanks Jim for agreeing to do the interview, and for putting up with our goofy shit. With any luck, we'll be able to think up a few more and throw them your way

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