Just for Laughs exclusive — Bill Burr interview

Class Act Comedy: Last time you were on Greg's podcast you had 1 of the funniest lines I've ever heard on a podcast. You were describing how all "alternative" rooms are the same by saying, "You go in there, and they all have their f***ing Buddy Holly glasses..." And I think it perfectly described most of the "alternative" rooms and open mics here.

Bill Burr: Those "alternative" rooms, I'm not saying they're all bad, but there is that error, of that these crowds are really intelligent and they're smarter than the crowds in comedy clubs. It's just something about it, like, "You are performing in front of a crowd like you." So I don't see where the challenge is. As much as those guys make fun of like the Blue Collar Tour, it's like 4 southern guys performing in front of a bunch of southerners, you're doing the same thing. You go into those rooms and people will have bits about like reading comic books or Sci-Fi movies that fing destroy. And you're just sitting there like, "Okay, that was funny, but it wasn't that f***ing funny, why is it killing that hard?" Then it's like, "Oh, he's basically doing an I love Texas bit in Texas." 

I don't know, this is weird. It probably sounds like I'm disrespecting their scene. I'm not. I'm not, because I've seen absolutely brilliant stuff, but I've always maintained that there's no difference, when you really look at both, between a comedy club and an "alternative" room. You look at 10 people, 3 of them are awesome, another like 6 or 7 are trying to get to the level of the 2 best people on the show. And then there's that 1 or 2 when you're like, "Who the f**k ever told you you were funny? Why are you onstage?" 

But one thing I don't like about those "alternative" rooms is I don't like how it's too safe an environment. That's why I don't like them. It's like declawed comedy. Like you're going to go in there, everybody is going to be sober, everybody is going to be paying attention... Which is a great thing, but if that's all you perform to... I don't know, you start packing on the pounds. You get a little lazy I think.

Just for Laughs exclusive — Bill Burr interview / by Scott King / www.chicagonow.com / June 15, 2011