I think that sitting down with a comedian and kicking off a conversation with ‘what kind of stuff are you geeky about?’ is my new favorite thing. I did not expect to get into a state of the comedy union, comparing the career of a comedian to the popularity of Dischord Records with Dave Ross, Los Angeles up and comer and host of the wildly popular indy comedy show Holy Fuck, but I’m pretty damn glad that I did. Dave, who is performing at tonight’s Geekscape Presents in Burbank, and I sat down for an conversation that made me wish I still had my Refused hoodie and a healthy addiction to Camel Lights.
Geekscape: So we’re starting all of these with the same question and just seeing where they go from there: What kind of stuff are you geeky about?
Dave Ross: I am a punk rock geek. I know a stupid amount about 90s punk rock… I’m currently obsessed with Ian Mackaye.
Geekscape: A Fugazi fan!
Ross: Fugazi, Minor Threat, Embrace, Teen Idles, Dischord Records, Pailhead…I love all of it.
Geekscape: Mackaye came up with ‘straight edge,’ right?
Ross: He did, but he hates that it’s a movement. I’ve been reading this book Our Band Could be Your Life, which is a chronicle of American punk rock and hardcore through the eyes of specific bands. It’s really great, thought I thought Mackaye was more of a peace punk his whole life than he was. That was a bit of a let-down. And it seems he’s way more pretentious than I thought. I guess I should’ve expected that. So the Minor Threat chapter, this book claims that one of the reasons Minor Threat broke up was because of how stubborn Ian was… That he wanted what he wanted and the rest of the band didn’t necessarily want that. They didn’t like straight edge, and they didn’t want to claim being absent of alcohol because they weren’t. It’s ironic, because when other straight edge bands started popping up Ian said that he hated it, because his whole straight edge philosophy was about him taking his own path and being proud of it. The message was supposed to be that you should follow your heart, not conform to what people think is cool. Yet here we are with people building their lives straight edge.
Geekscape: It’s like ‘Born in the USA.’ It’s a huge protest song, but rednecks fucking cry and salute when they hear it. People hear what they want to hear in a message and run with it.
Ross: Everyone wants to be a part of something, but it’s very rare that people start something on their own. It’s hard to have that kind of conviction. That’s why I love Ian Mackaye so much. Also, Jesus.
Geekscape: Ian is like a DIY Jesus in a hoodie.
Ross: Totally. And more of a dick. And that’s the problem. Does blazing a trail makes you arrogant and self-important? Or does the fact that people follow you down that trail do it?.
Geekscape: I feel like it sort of takes an arrogant and self important person to blaze a trail that strong.
Ross: I disagree, actually. I mean, historically, you’re right. Henry Rollins, Zach de la Rocha, Bob Dylan, Che Guevara…these are all unapologetic people who were inspiring because of their confidence but still very self-important. So I’ve been reading a lot about Ian Mackaye, and I was hoping to read two things about him: 1. That he was completely non-violent. I’d heard that he breaks up fights at shows and stops shows dead in their tracks if someone’s getting fucked up. He didn’t start doing that until Fugazi…And that’s fine, it’s just sort of a letdown to learn one of your heroes used to respond to his own angst by straight fucking dudes up. 2. That he was really, incredibly nice. Which I think he is, but he was also so insanely obsessed with his beliefs and so indignant of people’s lack of understanding for him that he removed himself, and like I said, fought people.
And I read that and I was bummed, at first. Because really what I want to do in comedy is remove the industry from the equation. If I could cite a number one goal in the entertainment industry, it’s to build a Dischord Records for comedians: a system that’s monetized and makes sense and cultivates great art while helping comedians make a living. And I know that you can do that while being all-inclusive and nice.
We’re already doing that with Holy Fuck. Holy Fuck doesn’t turn a blind eye to any comedian, and we’ve never been rude or aggressive toward anyone. It’s been successful solely on its respect for the fact that no one has money, people love comedy, and people want to be a part of something.
I’m all over the place, I know. I can go on about this forever: My aspiration is to be the Ian Mackaye of comedy, basically. Huge long shot.
Geekscape: First you’d have to stop pits from forming at your shows. You can compare your disappointment in young Mackaye to the growth of a comedian: You didn’t do your current set at your very first open mic. Your ideas have changed and grown. Young Ian was probably like ‘yeah, there’s freedom in that fucking pit’
Ross: I think I’m trying to say like three things at once, because I have horrible, fucked up ADD. The first is that I respect Ian Mackaye in the way he’s conducted his life, and how incredibly respectful of art and people he’s managed to be while still making a living at what he loves. The second is that he’s been insanely aggressive and angry in his life, and very pretentious in ways, and i think that i can do it without that part. The last is that I fucking hate the entertainment industry, and I think it’s ridiculous we have to kowtow to some old-world understanding of what good entertainment is in order to make a living. The whole world still thinks the best comedy is on TV or in comedy clubs. Why isn’t there an underground comedy scene that’s sustainable? You know what i mean? Music can do it. You make a living, albeit a shitty difficult one, but a living, as a touring indie band.
Geekscape: Would you consider Brian Regan a decent example of that? I mean, he’s a club guy, but he’s found his success on his own terms.
Ross: Brian Regan is amazing. And yeah, he’s managed to do it. Even Dane Cook. Granted, he stole a joke or two and seems to be a real dick but I have to respect both of their careers.
Geekscape: I think the sad thing for Dane Cook is that his ‘young dickwad Ian’ years for very VERY publicized. Ian McKaye got to work out his preFugazi ‘kind of an asshole kinks’ in relative obscurity, whereas Dane Cook skyrocketed before working out the whole ‘I’m sort of a young brash asshole’ thing and now the whole world is like ‘oh that guy? Dickbag.’ Which he deserves, but if he grown up more before hitting that fame, 40 year old Dane Cook is probably the best comedian of all time.
Ross: (laughs) Nah, he sucks. Fuck that guy.
Geekscape: Fuck you, Future Dane!
Ross: Why isn’t there a more sustainable alternative comedy lifestyle? Like, Dischord Records is huge, you know? Alternative Tentacles? Huge. And everything’s on their terms. They don’t make as much money as if they were on MTV or whatever, but there are huge, major bands on those labels. But with comedy, it’s so god damn hard to get good that by the time you’re good enough to put out an amazing album…
Geekscape: You’re getting paid by the industry already.
Ross: And it’s all you know. We’re just as much to blame as anyone else. When I go on the road, I look for shows and bookers my friends have done before, or I try to do clubs or whatever, but what we SHOULD be doing is just finding the one or two fans we have, and throwing a show at their house or in their basement or whatever. We should have a home base comedy club in LA that always has five dollar shows, that’s all standup, that doesn’t allow heckler assholes in, and has a good, young, exciting, welcoming, fun vibe to it. We should be branding smart comedy across the country. I don’t want to hear someone tell me what won’t work in some room. I don’t want to hear what can’t be done, and that people in the bible belt don’t want to hear jokes about Jesus. That’s fucking bullshit, because there are kids in high school in Alabama and Missouri and Indiana who hate it there and are terrified, and just want someone to relate to them.
Geekscape: And they’d love a scene like LA has for comedy.
Ross: Yeah. Give strangers a home. I think we can do with stand-up comedy what they were doing with punk rock in the 80s.
Geekscape: the funny (in a sad way) thing about what you’re talking about, is that LA’s comedy scene has the legs and the base to start that movement, but because it’s LA, the scene, whether it likes it or not, is still pretty focused on the industry you want it to avoid. We have all of these great indy rooms, sure, but at the end of the day we’re still fighting for Conan spots.
Ross: Yeah. Well, and I should also say that I judge no one. I’m part of the industry. I have a manager, I want to make a living! And maybe this ideal doesn’t happen. And if it does, it’ll be on a smaller scale than I’d like. It’s funny. As I’m talking about this, I’m realizing i don’t actually have a solid idea of what i want. I’m not even frustrated about my own career. I just know i’m angry
Geekscape: Which is pretty punk rock.
Ross: Sorry I’m so scattered. I’m hoping that I find more direction in my anger soon! It’s all over the place now, and I think what’s the most ironic is that I’m ANGRY that the world isn’t NICER. That’s my major point of frustration with our world: JUST BE FUCKING NICE.
Geekscape: Or I will curbstomp you STRAIGHT EDGE STYLE.