Chosen Comedy: Seth Herzog

Seth Herzog is a comedian, actor and writer. He’s appeared in the movies Role Models and The Ten, the TV show Stella and is a frequent talking head on VH1. He hosts the weekly comedy show "Sweet" (which often features guest appearances by his mother). I caught up with Herzog to talk about his weekly comedy show, his first time performing and (what else?) his mom.

Can you pinpoint a moment in your childhood when you knew you wanted to do comedy?

I remember in first grade, my class was doing a production of The Mickey Mouse Club with sketches, songs, etc., and one guy (who I’m still friends with) pitched a joke for the show. ‘What did the salad say to the refrigerator? Close the door, I’m dressing!’ It got a big laugh from the class. And I remember thinking, ‘That’s not funny and doesn’t make sense. But he doesn’t know any better. I’ll be the jerk if I say something. Let it go.’ I think I was six. That joke made it on the show.

How long have you lived in New York City?

I moved to the city in January 1994, a really interesting time in our culture and in the culture of the city. I lived in Times Square. It was the last throes of the old Times Square from the Koch era. 42nd Street between 7th and 8th was filled with closed down peep shows and porn theaters. It was "Ratso Rizzo’s" NY still. It wouldn’t be weird to see an old-school flasher hanging out on the corner.

My first apartment in New York was on 27th Street and 10th around that time. Tranny hookers used to ‘work’ our stoop.

You lived there just before it became the mecca for wannabe scenesters and Jersey douches yelling at their girlfriends. ‘Denise, where you going? Why you walking so fast? What did I do? I don’t know what I did.’ Back then, it was all trannies with names like Jon Benet B’rith, just trying to make a living.

The month I moved to New York was when a guy from Comedy Central started a show at a bar called Rebar on 16th and 8th. It was on Monday nights and it was where Janeane Garofalo, Marc Maron, The State guys and anyone interested in doing anything outside a club would come to take huge risks or just tell stories. The only rule was ‘don’t do your act.’ It was a real scene real fast. So much schmoozing was going on after the show and everyone was there to see who everyone else was talking to.

What are some of your first New York performing experiences?

Like a lot of comedians who were around in New York at the time, my first time doing stand up in the city was at Glady’s, a one-room comedy club in the back of Hamburger Harry’s on 45th. It was June of ’94. I went and I was so scared, but I soon realized it was all comics in the audience. Mostly bad ones. It was a combo of serious young comedians trying things out and crazy freaks who lived in the area who just wanted a mic to be crazy on. I stopped being nervous pretty quickly. My set went well and Gladys asked me to start doing their weekend shows.

How did the comedy show "Sweet" come about?

"Sweet" began in August 2004 and has had a great five-year run so far (which, for a weekly show, is an eternity). Back in 2001, comedian Josh Weinstein began a show called "The Industry Room" at a little store front theater space on West 44th. He asked me to be a producer and be a weekly part of the show. So right when I was starting to take stand up seriously, I had a show to do whatever I wanted. My friends really enjoyed coming down each week– watching me and everyone take risks and be silly and do our new bits and hanging out afterwards. In 2002, "The Industry Room" died when Josh and co-prodcer John Viener moved to LA.

My friends kept asking me when I was going to do another show so we’d have somewhere to hang out each week. So in August of ’04, "Sweet" began at the Slipper Room to great fanfare. The first show had Michael Showalter and Zak Orth, Demetri Martin, Ed Helms, David Wain and Paul Rudd.

Herzog shares traumatic experiences about and with Sam Rockwell.

We Jewish men are known for our relationships with our mothers, but you actually one up the rest of us by bringing your mom onstage as part of your regular act.

It started back in 2001 at the second "Industry Room" show. I did a set where I just told stories about Mom, and she was there, but the audience didn’t know. After I told the stories I said, ‘She’s here as well.’ The place went nuts and she came on stage and we ended the show with a dance together. It was so wild and people loved it so much. I started bringing her up for a bit with me every few months or so. And she always would say the most outrageous things and I would deconstruct her odd logic . . . and she’s had some seriously weird moments on stage.

So instead of calling her every Sunday, like most Jewish men, I just have that conversation with her on stage.

Please share one of your mother’s weird moments onstage.

Mom has had many a classic moment on stage . . . A few years ago, we recreated my birth. (She had a towel over her, and I was soaking wet and only wearing some velvety undies.) She’s known for saying, and then backing up, outrageous things. (‘I hate the cripples, and I’ll tell you why . . . ‘)

What’s next for you?

I’m continuing to produce and host "Sweet," which has been off the chain lately, in terms of audience and talent. We even hit the national media about John Mayer showing up couple of weeks ago. I believe "Sweet" is going back to the Sundance Film Festival for the third year in a row. I’m also appearing in more sketches on the Jimmy Fallon show lately, as well as still being a regular talking head on VH1, and I’m in the upcoming film The Winning Season with Sam Rockwell and Rob Corrdy. There’s all sorts of new stuff on the horizon . . .

Catch the "Sweet" Holiday Show & Party! on Tuesday, January 15 at The Slipper Room. Guests include Leo Allen, Craig Baldo, Rudi Macaggai and, of course, Seth Herzog’s mother. Alex Goldberg is a writer of theater, TV and film. He lives in New York City. Visit him at Alexgoldberg.net.

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