Patent Trolls.

It is happening, People!

The Maronation Tour has commenced. I did a show in DC, two in Philly and two in Boston. They were amazing. I’ve got a newbie, Ashley Barnhill, opening and the show is killer. I believe it’s the best hour or so I’ve done. If you don’t have tickets for one of the shows check here if there are any for a city near you.

I have to be honest. It is staggering, humbling and awesome to return to cities I have played in the past in smaller venues—sometimes poorly attended and rough—and do these bigger venues to full houses of people that dig what I do. I really never thought it would happen and it is. I’m fucking thrilled and beside myself that you folks are coming out. It’s a blast. I’ve put almost three decades of my life into this calling and it is being answered. I hope to see you out there.

Big ass news! As many if you recall I couldn’t shut up about podcasting being under attack by a patent troll that went by the shell company name of Personal Audio LLC. The patent they had was basically a schematic drawing of a nonexistent machine that they tried to retrofit onto part of the technology that facilitates (in a fairly removed way) the distribution of podcasts. They claimed they invented podcasting before it existed. They came after us. I got letters that implied future lawsuits if I didn’t cough up a licensing fee of their choosing. They were suing Adam Carolla and they were using him as the example in their shakedown scheme.

Patent trolls are an ongoing threat to businesses of all kinds. Podcasters rallied. We reached out to the nonprofit Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and gave them the heads up. We reached out to each other to try to figure out how to fight this threat to our medium. We didn’t have lawyers and we were scared. The EFF found it appropriate to file a re-exam of the patent with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). We put out a battle cry for funds to make the re-exam happen. It was funded overnight because of your support. We encouraged Adam to fight and he did. We put out a battle cry for his fight and many of you responded. Ultimately they laid off Adam, half-promising to leave us alone, too. It was on paper but the language left the door open for them to bring it all back up again. Well, last week the USPTO ruled in our favor.

“In petitions filed with Patent Office, EFF showed that Personal Audio did not invent anything new before it filed its patent application, and, in fact, other people were podcasting for years previously. Earlier examples of podcasting include Internet pioneer Carl Malamud's "Geek of the Week" online radio show and online broadcasts by CNN and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).”

See the entire article and ruling here.

We did it with your help! Thank you for supporting podcasts. Apparently a WTF listener, Jeff Haynes, supplied some of the ‘prior art’ necessary to take the patent down. Thanks, Jeff. Thanks again to everyone who was with us in this fight.

On Monday I have a beautiful chat with The Fonz, Henry Winkler. On Thursday’s show Spoon’s Britt Daniel talks about the evolution of his band and the struggle of music. Also on Thursday the brilliant Jon Ronson talks a bit about his new book, ‘So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed.’ Great week of talks.

Enjoy!

Boomer lives!

Love,
Maron

Not in a million years.

Rock and Roll, People.

I haven’t talked to you all since the things happened. Since I talked to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. Since I talked to my childhood heroes. Is my life different now? Well, yes. I talked to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards on my home phone in my garage. The both called my house. Did I ever think that Mick and Keith would call me at home ever, for any reason? Was it even imaginable? No. Not in a million years.

So, that happened. It was amazing for me. I hope that someday I will get to sit down with Keith for a long conversation. I don’t think it can happen with Mick because from what I understand he is a very private person. I think Keith would like to talk. We’ll see what happens. In the mean time I guess I’m going to San Diego see the Stones as Mick’s guest. That is, if he is a man of his word. Which I assume he is.

I’m sick of being sick. I just got over that nasty snotty cold thing that I was fortunate enough not to have in my lungs. I had a good week of feeling good. I took a run the other day and after it I felt knocked out. It thought maybe I gave myself heat stroke or something. Then I was a little feverish and now I just feel buggy for the last couple of days. I’m kind of achy, little tightness in the chest and my tummy hurts. What the fuck is that? Some vague, not all-consuming but nagging bug? Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad its not worse but it is annoying.

The Maronation Tour starts in earnest this Thursday at The Warner Theater in Washington, DC. This is the first time I’m doing big rooms for an entire tour. It will be my task to make a big room fit me. Bring it in. I’m excited about. A little nervous. Not too bad. If you live in the Bay Area and want to come to the show you should get tickets. I’ll be at Davies Symphony Hall on May 10th. It’s really the biggest room I’m playing and it's about half sold. So, just a heads up that I will be there and I could stand to move some seats. Those who bought tickets will definitely not be alone. There are over 1000 sold but might be nice to have some more company.

Today I spend 10 minutes talking to Keith Richards. I don’t think I could’ve emotionally handled anymore. It was amazing. Also, on Monday I talk to actress and poet, Amber Tamblyn about her new book, Dark Sparkler. On Thursday I have a fun chat with record producer John Agnello and a short talk with Maz Jobrani about his new book.

Enjoy!

Boomer lives!

Love,
Maron

Keep up the good luck.

It’s happening, People-

The Maronation Tour is going to start in earnest on April 9th at The Warner Theater in Washington DC. Please check the schedule for your city. Some shows have sold out and some shows have been added. I feel good about it.

I just spent the day cleaning the garage or at least moving some shit, cleaning under it, re-stacking it and putting it back. It is so hard for me to throw stuff away. I get a lot of stuff. I like all of it, for a while. I guess there is no shame in getting rid of books that I’m just not going to read as long as they weren’t and sent to me by the author and signed. I learned that lesson. I had to move some books out of the garage so I brought them down to the local bookstore to see if they wanted them. Thought maybe I could get some trade at least. One of the books was a signed book of poetry by a guy. They put that book up online and the guy who signed must have a Google alert on his name because he alerted me that the book was up for sale and maybe I didn’t realize I did it and might need another one. I felt shitty.
Now I just try to give stuff to Goodwill. Same thing happened. A guy sent a print of a piece of art that I just had no room for but I thought someone might enjoy it so I brought it to Goodwill. Someone did find it, loved it, told the artist they picked it up. Busted. He was happy that the piece landed in good hands and seemed to have a journey. I felt bad.

I don’t really know what to do. I live in a small house. I guess I could rent a storage locker for stuff. I now keep all the personal art and signed books and records and just move stuff that comes through labels and publicists if I’m not going to need it for research or don’t necessarily enjoy them. Damn. I still have a lot of stuff. I like stuff. I am not a hoarder. I am going to get to all of it and get all of it up on the damn wall. I just need another lifetime and more walls.

I forgot to mention this thing that happened in NYC that I thought was beautiful. I was in a coffee shop with my producer Brendan and I noticed a guy giving me that look that he knew who I was and liked what I did. I know the look. I do it to people. It’s hard to know what to do in that moment because you want to say something but you don’t usually know what to say. I generally don’t say anything because I just don’t want to feel weird. As we were walking out he was looking at me and I said, ‘Hey, man.’ He said. ‘Hey, I really like your stuff.’ I said, ‘Thanks. What’s your name?’ He told me. I don’t remember but I wanted to. As I was walking away he said, ‘Keep up the good luck.’ It was a brain fart. He obviously wanted to say ‘Keep up the good work.’ It was genius. We laughed about it. It was one of the greatest sentences I’ve heard.

On Monday I talk to Michael Imperioli. Great talent. Great guy. I miss seeing him in stuff. Fuck, I miss The Sopranos. It was nice talk. On Thursday I talk to the amazing cartoonist and artist, Drew Friedman. I’ve been a huge fan of his work for years. I was thrilled to talk to him.

Enjoy!

Boomer lives!

Love,
Maron

It is coming back.

Hey, Folks-

Don’t have much to say today because I’ve been traveling and I completely spaced writing this until the middle of the night.

I had great shows in Rochester. The crowds were amazing and The Comedy Club is a great room. I managed not to eat a Garbage Plate but that did not stop me from eating garbage. The crazy must stop soon. I think I am over compensating with food for what I have lost when I shaved my mustache and beard. It is coming back. Slowly I will regain my strength and my will to exercise. I’m really exhausted and I’m just not going to write a lot right now.

Know that all is well and I am out of my mind but I know it.

This week on the show I had an amazing talk with filmmaker Joe Swanberg. It is really one of the best conversations I have had on the show in a while. That happens on Monday. On Thursday I will air my talk with Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth.

Enjoy!

Boomer lives!


Love,
Maron

We wrapped.

La commedia è finite, People!

We did it. We wrapped season 3 of Maron for IFC. It premieres May 14th. It’s going to be good.

I will be doing two warm up shows at The Trepany House: Tuesday, March 31st and Monday, April 6th if you want to come down. They’re usually a good time.

It’s completely astounding to me that we finished shooting the show. The process is insane. From sitting in a room with five other guys and figuring out 13 stories then outlining them then writing them then re-writing them then making them into television shows line-for-line, one at a time. I am really proud of all the scripts and now that I am seeing the early cuts and some near-finished cuts of the show I am very excited for you to see them. They are weird, touching, funny, disturbing and compelling. All of the things you want in an experience of any kind.

The amount of people of all kinds and all jobs it takes to make a show is amazing. Lights, electric, make-up, hair, cameras, props, catering, transport, locations, wardrobe, producers, directors, networks, actors. It’s astounding. The set was warm and everyone did an amazing job. You become sort of a weird family after a while. Doing 13 hour days everyday with a crew that sees you at your best and at your not so good. It’s emotional. I was fortunate to work with great people and this being the only TV show I have ever been part of I guess I’ve been spoiled.

There was definitely some heavy lifting acting-wise this year for me. I don’t really consider myself an actor but I can see that I have gotten better at playing me over the last two seasons. All I can do is commit. I did. There is some pretty surprising stuff that happens this season. Hope I sold it.

I talk to Alex Karpovsky from Girls on Monday. Great guy. Great story. On Thursday I talk to John Doe of the band X who also is a great guy with a great story.

Enjoy!

Boomer lives!


Love,
Maron

Rest will come.

Oh, hell, people.

I’m writing this later than usual because apparently I have my head up my ass because I am overwhelmed for a change. I spaced.

I’ve added shows in Toronto, Boston, Seattle and Asheville for those of you who couldn’t get tickets in those cities for the Maronation Tour.

I’m heading into the final week of shooting of Maron season three. It’s been intense and a little hectic. I am directing this week and I guess that’s where my head is at… kinda. It could be the fact that I did five sets this weekend because I want to mentally get in shape for the tour. What I am saying is I am busy as fuck and it’s going well. Someday, rest will come.

When I was in college in Boston one of my favorite local bands was the Del Fuegos. They should’ve been huge! It didn’t happen. The front man of that band was Dan Zanes. Some of you with kids may know Dan’s music because he’s the groovy family music guy. He found his calling. It’s quite a story. Loved talking to him. You can hear that today. And I also talk to Christopher Mansfield from the band Fences about his new album, his facial tattoos and Macklemore. On Thursday talk to the somewhat elusive Chris D'Elia. He’s on that show Undatable. I got to know him a little bit.

I can’t write much more. I have to sleep. More later.

Enjoy!

Boomer lives!


Love,
Maron

The hunger.

Damn, People-

First off, second shows have been added in Seattle, Toronto and Boston for the Maronation Tour. If you were shut out of those cities you can try again. Hope it works out for you. I want you to come.

I can’t stop eating. It’s the sad truth about addictions. Give one up and wait for it to pop up somewhere else. In my mind I’m preparing for the last two episodes of my show where it would be good if I were a little pudgy. That’s all I’m saying. I’m in a war against blowing up before we finish shooting. I just feel like something is missing all the time and it is something that I can ingest. THE HUNGER. It’s sucks. I’m thinking of experimenting with no caffeine at all. I have been drinking tea. A lot of tea. Too much tea. I’m just wondering what it would feel like to be free of everything. I wonder what my brain would do and if I could handle it. I might just crumble into a fetal position in a panic. Maybe that’s just what I need. Maybe I’ll tour with it. It’s a strange state of affairs when mind altering means not ingesting things.

I will be directing an episode I wrote this year. It will be the last thing we shoot and I think the mustache might have to come off for some scenes. That’s all I’m saying.

Folks, I’m having a hard time giving a fuck in a general way. I don’t really know what is going with me. I don’t know how to explain it. I’m just having a hard time giving a fuck. It’s weird when you get to a certain age and all the shit that used to be life or death important just doesn’t hold any power at all any more. I guess maybe I’ve earned the right to not give a fuck. Or maybe I have to make a new list of fucks I do give. I don’t feel apathetic, just tired. I obviously give a fuck about the work I’m doing but I feel a little detached. Goddamnit. I don’t feel like embarking on some grand metaphysical search for meaning. Maybe I’ll just take a field trip for meaning. It’s all crazy to me. I don’t feel bad, things are going well, I just don’t know what it all means. How hack is that? Real, though, dawg.

The lovely Mick Foley is on the show Monday to talk about Santa and wrestling and being a good dude. Rob McElhenney talks to me on Thursday about creating ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’ and being a dad and what’s next in life. Good week.

Enjoy!

Boomer lives!


Love,
Maron

Let’s go with that.

Hey, Friends-

Don’t panic. If the Maronation Tour is sold out near you we may be adding shows like we did in Boston. I will let you know.

I have a few more weeks of shooting on ‘Maron’ and it’s going very well. I’ve looked at some rough cuts and I thought they looked great. I’ll be directing an episode I wrote in the final week and I’m looking forward to it. I don’t know what to do with this feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction. Wait, I still have three weeks of work. Okay, I’m filled with the dread again. Phew. That was close. I may have to retire or run away at the end of this year.

I’m watching the Oscars because I can’t help myself. I like them. I like looking at movie stars. So, I’m not going to write to much here. It’s interrupting my live Tweeting and mocking something I actually like. That’s the word we live in. We have to feed the monster and hurt our hearts because it feels good sometimes to struggle. Bucking and thrashing from the inside. I’m exhausted.

Let's go with that. I am anxious and exhausted from being tethered to my phone, Twitter and the random judgment by strangers and I let myself get strung out. I’m starting to think there is nothing quite as addicting as social media and it is making my brain numb. I know I’m not saying anything new. I’m just really realizing it. I fantasize about detaching completely from all communication. It’s weird. It’s primarily because I can't pull myself away for very long. I know what addiction is and what it feels like and this is it. I dread it but need it and can't get free from it. Crazy. I’m so fucking busy so it’s not like I’m spending the day dicking around on Twitter but enough time to make me feel like I am wasting my time and fucking my brain up somehow.

I guess it’s all to avoid the darkness. Some people aren’t prone to the darkness. Some people know they are but can stay away from it. Some people are enveloped in it. Some people do everything they can to avoid it, which means when the enter it they do it with a vengeance. I talked to author Nick Tosches today. He is one of the portals to the darkness. Not unlike Hubert Selby, Jerry Stahl or William Burroughs, Tosches knows how to go in, navigate, extricate, embrace and amplify the human darkness. And he can get real fucking dark. His books have changed my life in terms of understanding how to be compassionate to the monsters that we all are.

On Thursday Kevin Allison is in the garage being fun and filthy.

Enjoy!

Boomer lives!


Love,
Maron

Riding it out.

Yes, People, yes…..Onward we go,

My life is limited to shooting the show and sleeping. I barely have time for standup which is freaking me out. I have to go. It’s like the gym. Even if I don’t want to I need to get up on stage a few times a week or I feel out of shape, loose and flabby-witted, or…scared. That is what I am feeling lately. Fear. It’s weird, but it happens. I think it is always there. I just get it in check for stretches of time.

I think pulling the plug on the nicotine has left me vulnerable to all kinds of attacks from within and without. Of course I am amplifying the attacks coming from the outside, if they even exist at all, so lets just say inner attacks. Doubts. I am working very hard and as opposed to letting my brain rest or it just resting on its own it decides to interrogate me and shake the core of whatever foundation I have. You think you are doing a good job? You think you are working hard enough? You think you look good? I don’t know. You should really fester on it and decide you suck in the middle of all this success. That’s an attractive point of view that everyone can relate to. Everything is going great and I suck. I counter with, "Get over it," and take contrary action because I know that I am at the edge of something I’ve never experienced before and my comfort zone has always been, "I’m an asshole."

Maybe it’s because I am so busy, but I feel detached and disengaged from life. I have no idea what I should be talking about or interested in. Lets just hope it's busy and not depressed. I’m going with busy and off a drug for less than 90 days. Riding it out.

In black cat news I think Deaf Black Cat is gone. A new one has arrived. I don’t know where this monster came from but there is a new cat eating on my deck. He is jet black with a huge head and muscly body. He as a nasty scar patch on the back of his neck and balls the size of dog balls. If there were a pit bull cat it would be this guy. He’s a little friendly and not quite not wild. I think he may have kind of a home. Dunno. I know those balls need to go. He’s not coming around regularly enough for me to trap him and I’m pretty busy to be doing that but I know he’s out there looking for pussy pussy and we don’t need anymore ferals around here. I also have a fear that he may belong to some gangbanger down the street and if I have his balls cut off there may be a risk of mine being cut off. Or maybe a less drastic reprisal like he’d be my cat now. See how my brain works. Anyway…

Conor Oberst - Bright Eyes - is on the show today. We talked a lot about songwriting and he plays one. On Thursday the legendary Harry Shearer talks to me for a bit about it all. He’s been around AND he was very pleasant. I was lead to believe he might not be.

Enjoy!

Boomer lives!


Love,
Maron

10 weeks off nicotine.

Hey, People-

I am sorry if the ‘Maronation Tour' is not coming to a venue near you. I am totally open to adding states and cities. Let me get through these dates and see where I am at in terms of people coming out and I will judge more dates based on that. I want you to be able to see me if you want to see me without traveling too far. Just let me see what’s happening out there.

In other news, it’s been 10 weeks off nicotine and I’m losing my mind a bit. I can now reasonably access the dark hunger and it is powerful. I usually buckle at around three months. I start to feel thick in body and mind. I start to feel itchy in my bones and like I’m not quite whole and the missing piece is something I can ingest. I wish I could just get addicted to exercise. Why am I not one of those guys? That would be great. But the momentum I have to generate mentally to even get out of the house in my sneakers is a heavy undertaking, so that is not sticking as the next compulsive lifestyle shift. It’s always food or sex with me. I guess I should be happy I don’t really think about going back to the drugs and I’ve never been comfortable with gambling or over-buying stuff. Food or sex or back to the nicotine. Or, maybe, I can actually make it through to just being comfortable with my discomfort until it dissipates. That hasn’t happened in fifty one years but I won’t give up hope. I might start drinking coffee again. This tea thing gets annoying.

Big week shooting the show last week. I worked with actors that loom large in my memory. We are shooting the first episode of season three. I can’t tell you anything about the story but I will tell you I did scenes with Elliot Gould and Alex Rocco! Trapper John and Moe Green. Are you fucking kidding me. It was amazing. I did one scene with Rocco that may have been one of the highlights of my life. It was just too fucking funny. I also worked with Constance Zimmer who is amazing. I’m doing an episode with Adam Goldberg as well and we are working well off each other. We have a Semitic understanding that goes back centuries.

Ladies! This week on the show Cameron Esposito joins me on Monday. She is also appearing in an episode of ‘Maron’ this season. On Thursday we will air a live WTF recorded at LA Podfest featuring the likes of Whitney Cummings (also on ‘Maron’ this season), Pam Adlon, Desi Jedeikin, Shelby Fero and Amber Preston.

Enjoy!

Boomer lives!


Love,
Maron

The Maronation Tour.

Goddammit, I got sick, People.

Before I whine about being sick, I have TOUR DATES! The Maronation Tour starts on April 9th in Washington, DC, at the Warner Theater and then continues to Philadelphia, Boston, Madison, Pittsburgh, suburban Detroit, Toronto, Houston, Dallas, Seattle, Vancouver, San Francisco, Asheville, Charleston, Atlanta and New Orleans. Go here for dates and venues. Tickets go on sale this Friday. I’m very excited about getting out into the world and performing again. I will be ready after shooting for almost three months.

So, I got sick. I’ve been feeling it nagging at me here and there for the last month or so. You know, the season. I’ve managed to keep it out of me or at the very least keep it from taking me over. Well, that battle ended on Thursday morning when I woke up with a 102 fever. Furious. I couldn’t call in sick. I have to be in every scene. The entire production kind of depends on me being alive and well and there. There are no B stories. There is a B12 story, though.

It’s challenging enough shooting a show but to do it sick is kind of a nightmare. I had to load up on the over the counter meds and get my fevered ass to the set. I had a set doctor come down to just make sure I wasn’t dying. She gave me a Z-Pak and asked if I wanted a B12 shot in the ass. She didn’t say it quite like that but that was the gist. I knew about the mythical B12 shots. How they are supposed to turn everything around and make it all okay. I said I would do it. That was a first for me. Never had the B12 shot. I think it perked me up for a few hours against what my body really wanted to do which was drop out from under me. I think I would like to try it without being sick. I know it was pretty popular back in the day for people who partied too hard and needed a pick me up. Maybe I shouldn’t try it again. I don’t want to become one of those people. The B12 shot people. I’m fine. Glad I did it once.

I had a great time working with Lucy Davis last week. She was on the British Office with Gervais. She is kind of a comedy genius. We did a couple of scenes. She plays my manager in a couple of episodes this season. I love her. I also worked with Gregory White. You may not know the name but he was on a McDonald’s commercial a couple of years ago. I think it was a McNuggets commercial. People told me all the time that he looked like an older me. I could see the resemblance. So, when he came in to casting to read for a part as a doctor I had to cast him. He was great. It was a kind of a trip.

Jim Gaffigan is on the show Monday. I’ve known Jim a long time. We like to talk to each other. It was great. On Thursday 92-year-old Marty Allen stops by the garage to talk about a long career in show biz including being on The Ed Sullivan Show the same night the Beatles made their debut. Good talks!

Enjoy!

Boomer lives!


Love,
Maron

I saw Selma.

One week down, People!

I have to say the first week of shooting the third season of ‘Maron’ for IFC went very well. It was fun! See, I just admitted I had a good time. Wild, right? Feels good. Maybe I could get used to that.

I saw Selma. I loved the way it was shot. So intimate. The intimacy of the horrible violence of the events playing against the intimacy of the portrait of the man that was Martin Luther King was mind blowing. So many close ups of David Oyelowo’s face and head, front and back, revealed the struggle in the streets against the struggle in his mind at every turn. His fortitude and vision expressed through movement and the bold intensity of softness, compassion and a strength that buckled but did not waiver or stop the righteous actions that needed to play out. The actor’s choices were brilliant and organic and understated. The menace of the typed out scene headings from an FBI log book gave the movie a haunting undercurrent. It illustrated the insidious preemptive calculations of the dark workings of a government that refused to represent its people until it was convenient and, if that didn’t come to pass, would do whatever was necessary to neuter the ‘threat’ of people fighting for their rights. I thought the film was stunning and disturbing. I needed to be stunned and disturbed into feeling the violent impact of the events being depicted. Events that happened in my lifetime. Events that echo in events that are happening now. It’s a heartbreaking reality that I don’t live in and don’t always really allow myself to feel or understand. I thank Selma for shaking me.

I’m embarrassed to admit that after seeing the movie I went to sleep and dreamt that I was bombing in front of a southern audience for a long time. I guess it’s okay that my subconscious is shamelessly self-centered.

I get caught up in my own shit. My limited turmoil. My repetitive patterns of emotional garbage. My insecurities. It becomes embarrassing. When it goes away for a bit I am relieved but I don’t really know what to do with myself. I don’t know what I want to do with my life. I know that sounds odd but it is true. I spent my life struggling to be myself and then struggling to make a living on my terms doing my thing. Now both have happened and I have no idea how to move forward. I never really wanted anything other than those things. I guess I just have to keep my heart in the right place and open and it will be revealed. I could also buy a car—maybe.

Jimmy Dore is on the show Monday. He was one of the podcasters that was there before the rest of us. He had me on his show right when I was starting out and finally I am return the favor. On Thursday a guy who was inspired to do a podcast because of my podcast. Brian Koppelman talks to me about his life in music and film. Good talks.

Enjoy!

Boomer lives!


Love,
Maron

I am making television.

It’s happening again, People.

The time has come. I am making television.

Today is day one of shooting season 3 of ‘Maron.’ I’ll be up early in my trailer running lines. It’s going to be a long day. All I’m thinking about is ‘I hope I don’t get sick.’ Not, ‘This is going to be great.’ My brain fucks with me so hard when I have things that I have to show up for where other people are depending on me or are scheduled and timed for specific reasons. If I am doing an interview I can noodle around an hour or two before and get into the zone. If I am doing the intro for the podcast sometimes it takes me half the day to get to the mic. Today I have to be on set. There are a lot of people doing a lot of jobs that make tv happen and this tv show has my name on it. I don’t really think about it all too much but I would like to be excited. The scripts are good. We’ve got two seasons under our belt. We know the terrain. I am comfortable in my fictional me. I want this season to be the best one so far. I just cant seem to get my head out of ‘I hope I don’t fuck this up’ mode into ‘This is going to fun’ mode. I’ve been that way my entire life. I'm beginning to think the trick might be in experiencing gratitude. It is not my go to. My default setting is ‘everything kind of sucks’ not ‘there are a lot of great things happening.’

I really just keep moving. I keep distracted. I rarely just stop or slow down. There is always something going. Even if I’m at home I’m always moving. It’s like I can’t stop out of fear that I won’t start again or something. I need to take a breath and be fucking grateful. My life did not have to turn out this way. It was not heading this way. I seem to have ended up on my feet and things are going well. I have decided to enjoy my life and feel happy. I’m a decent person. I worked hard. I deserve it. Shit. Did that sound convincing. I felt it all while I was writing it. Not now, though. Maybe I’ll just write that stuff on an index card and wear it around my neck in one of those things with the little plastic window where people with jobs put their security cards and driver’s license. Yeah. I’ll get on of those. I’ll call it my gratitude pouch. I’ll put a picture of my face with a strained smile in there as well.

We will be shooting 12 hour days, at least. Five days a week for two and a half months. But the podcast will go on! Must go on! My show is set in my neighborhood for a reason. I can scramble home at lunch and RECORD the show. Don’t worry, people. I got this.

Sometimes you just don’t know what you will get when you talk to an actor. Today I talk to Jason Schwartzman who is just as much of a sweetheart as you would think. Great guy. Fun talk. On Thursday I talk to the amazing and spectacular Andrea Martin about SCTV, her book and just life, really. I love her.

Enjoy!

Boomer lives!

Love,
Maron

Giving up the dread.

Hola, Friends-

First off, I had a great time at Largo last Thursday. If you were among the people that came out for the show---thanks for coming out. It’s a very strange experience to do long sets without my friend, Nicotine Lozenge, in my mouth keeping me grounded. It went great. I can manage my emotions without a crutch. Who knew? I did. It’s just been a while and apparently I would rather make myself feel like I’m about to have the worst set in my life then just keep positive. It’s more exciting that way and everything feels like a victory when it’s not a total disaster. Ridiculous. I’m done with it. The dread. I’m nervous about giving up the dread. I dread being without dread.

We are heading into the last week of writing for the third season of ‘Maron’ on IFC. A week from today we begin shooting the show. The insanity begins. We shoot an episode in three days. The pace is crazy but I feel ready. I’ve been running, eating well and focusing on keeping my shit together. It’s going to be good, right? Yes. Seriously? Yes. I’m ready. Sorry, I’m talking to myself. It’s going to be amazing.

I did something a little out of the ordinary this week. I’ve been feeling a little weird for not talking about the Bill Cosby situation. It is something that is happening in the world but Cosby is a comedian. My show is part of the community of comedians. I have not figured out a way to talk about it because I’m not sure what my feelings were or where I stood because I was copping out with the ‘due process’ excuse. Look, everyone deserves due process and everyone is innocent until proven guilty—in court. In life, it just doesn’t always work out that way. I found myself saying, "If he did it, he’s a horrible sociopathic serial rapist." If he did it? Well, this is not going to court and he’s not going to cop to it. There will be no due process. The statute of limitations is presumably up in most cases and, let's be honest, the powerful are above the law. So, I have to have an opinion. Given the number of accusations it’s become pretty clear to me that he did it. What does that mean? What happens now? I knew that Judd Apatow has been pretty outspoken on keeping the conversation alive about Cosby on Twitter so I thought I would give him a call and talk about what the reality of the accusations, the lack of response and the reality that Bill Cosby did some awful shit means at the very least to our community. It was a good talk.

Along with Judd on Monday I have a long chat with Jeff Garlin and I actually got a few words in. On Thursday I talk to Mike Judge about his career but we also caught up about what it is like to grow up in Albuquerque, NM, which we both did.

Enjoy!

Boomer lives!


Love,
Maron

I need it out.

We are in it, People

Is this year dragging? Slow start. It will pick up. Kidding. I’m not that cynical. I am ready to get back to work. I’ve done all the vacationing I can handle. It’s been nice but life starts to lose its meaning when everyone is just sort of ambling through the world half awake and hungover. That’s my take anyway. Obviously I’ve been working but the timing of New Year’s Eve into this last weekend just seemed to make everyone loopy and lost. I will be glad to get back into the writing of Season Three of ‘Maron.’

Speaking of the TV show, thanks for all the amazing feedback on Season Two. I had no idea that so many people hadn’t seen it until it went up on Netflix over the holidays. I am overwhelmed by the reaction. It felt like no one had actually watched when it was on television. Just humbled and happy people like it so much. We’re coming into the home stretch of the writing process for this season and I think the stories are great. It’s going to be good. I’m looking forward to shooting it.

I’ve been going through old shit which is a hit or miss experience. I need to throw shit away. I need to give shit away. I need it out of my house and life. I negotiate with objects like a hoarder. I have a stack of t-shirts from places or times in my life that just don’t exist anymore. Obviously the times in my life don’t exist except in my selective memory of them but there were things I wore that were essential to those times. They were magical objects that I needed for safety or to define who I was. They are devoid of meaning now other than to use as portals to how lost I was when I needed a t-shirt to protect me. Also, so much of the stuff that I have in my house has to do with women I have been with. I still use the Fiestaware I got for my first marriage. On the surface I don’t think it has any meaning other than I am lazy and the plates are still good but know I think it may be a way for me to hold onto whatever grief resides in the corner of my mind about my life. So, I’m getting rid of a lot of shit. I am not defined by my past relationships and I can afford fucking new plates.

Stripping shit away is the way I’m starting the year. Let's get to the truth of me. Still no nicotine going on five weeks. Clearing shit out of the way. Looking for the pure.

Outstanding shows this week. Directors! On Monday I talk to Paul Thomas Anderson and on Thursday I talk to Richard Linklater. These guys are visionary filmmakers. It was an honor to talk to them.

Enjoy!

Boomer lives!


Love,
Maron

Metaphor day.

It’s almost over, People!

The second season of my TV show ‘Maron’ is now available for your viewing pleasure on Netflix. I believe it is only in the US for now. I will let you know when and where it will turn up next, when I know.

As we head into the new year I am not reflecting on this last one. They all run together. I don’t seem to have a sense of delineation except vaguely through people I was with at this time last year or any of the years behind me. I can gauge the evolution of my emotional state by recollecting a screaming me at another time. I can report that my anger has eased a bit. It is in me but it is old and tired because it never got what it wanted or needed almost fifty years ago. I’m in negotiations with my anger. It has agreed to ease if I grieve what I missed and lost only as much as I can handle. So, no time line, just agreed to feel the sadness when it comes for as long as I can handle it at any given moment. It is a finite quantity. It is not bottomless. I am not committed to sadness or anger. I’m just now processing it. It comes in waves. Once the nicotine was removed that was really the last damper, the last filter, the last warm prize, the final sublimater. It’s a bit raw now but I am staying on the bull and it is slowing down. I guess today is metaphor day.

I don’t really know what to do to replace the mental food that was nicotine. I’m doing okay. No cravings, really. Just the angry residue of a deep, old habit dug into my neural pathways. I’ve been running, hard, up hills, for miles. It’s not as good but I like that I am building up endurance. It’s good to be able to run for a while. Just in case you really need to run for a while.

I went to Desert Hot Springs with the painter over Christmas. It was an amazing way to spend a holiday that really didn’t factor into our lives. I got her some cool rocks and a brass Ganesh and she got me some drinking glasses and an airpop popper and a Nehru jacket and a Terry Reid record. We just had a quiet time up at The Sagewater Spa. We brought a bunch of food and books and movies and hung out. We went to Joshua Tree for a couple of hikes and we co-existed without fighting. I would go as far to say that we had a good time. I can admit that. We had an awesome time.

On Monday I battle it out with Jason Nash. He’s a comic I’ve known for years and I have had an issue with for years. Maybe it’s just in my mind. We’ll find out. On Thursday I talk to the amazing Melanie Lynskey about her movies and life. Love her. Good week.

Enjoy!

Happy New Year!

Boomer lives!


Love,
Maron

When it gets still.

Merry Happy, Everybody!

I’m a moron and a bad Jew. I had no idea when Hanukkah started and now it’s almost over and I have done nothing. I’m just waiting for it to get still in LA. I love when LA is still.

I don’t know if I am not a good party or dinner guest, but I will be honest with you. I was invited to one holiday party and another at the last minute. I think I’m an okay guy, good talker, entertaining, fun to be around. Am I delusional? Unless no one I know is having holiday parties. I can’t believe that, though. It’s just odd to me that I have these beautiful conversations with people. Some of them make me feel like I’ve gotten very close to people and not one out of the 550 that I have done invites me over for a little dinner or a party. Weird. Well, two did. I knew them before I started the podcast.

Maybe this is all too personal to me. I assume that my conversations are icebreakers for what some part of me thinks will become a lasting friendship. I guess not, for the most part. It’s ridiculous. I’m just a show people do. A personal show where we share emotions and stories and maybe a coffee and go our own ways. I think these feelings are compounded by the fact that I’m a bit nostalgic. I’ve lived many lives. There have been many people that have gone away. Bits and pieces of all them come back to me in memory when it gets still. It’s hard not to be melancholy when you are sitting alone.

Speaking of people who get attached to their subject, on Thursday I talk to Larry Grobel who did a good many of the famous Playboy interviews. Back then, or at least when he did them, interviews could go on for weeks, even months. So, to honor that, I interviewed Larry in two different sessions to see if it would really make a difference. Point being, he got very close to some of his subjects just by virtue of spending time with them. He went to Brando’s island. Does that mean they are friends? Hard to know when you are the interview guy. I talk to him about that.

On Monday, I have an absolutely amazing conversation with Melissa Etheridge. She sings a song off her new record. too. It was just great. Just listen to it.

Happy holidays! Be safe.

Enjoy!

Boomer lives!


Love,
Maron

Where I’m at.

Hi, People-

It’s an unusual week. We are doing three episodes. Today, Monday, I will run a re-edited version of my two-part interview with Louie CK. It is re-edited in the sense that I contextualize the episode at the beginning and both parts are now in one episode. The reason we are doing this is because Slate is commemorating 10 years of podcasting today with a ranking of the 25 Best Podcast Episodes of All Time. The WTF with Louie CK is ranked number ONE!

Frankly, I’m excited to re-post a great episode that isn’t for a tragic reason. I know many of you have probably heard the episode before but to be honest with you there are a lot of people that haven’t and I want them to listen to it. I think that some of you might even listen to it again. I just did and it moved me. I actually hadn’t listened to it since I had the conversation and I was surprised how immediately all the emotions came back. I can report that Louie and I are friendly again. We talk when we can and hang out sometimes as well. The last time I was at his house and he was showing me his stuff he actually said it was exciting to be able to share things with me without me getting jealous. So, that’s progress. I was still a little jealous, but don’t tell. It was minor. I don’t really need a boat.

Let me catch you up on a few things stream of consciousness style. Still off nicotine and coffee. Too much tea. Lots of tea. Starting to hate tea. Not sure the no coffee thing is going to stick but the no nic has to stick. Done with dependence. Fat. Is. Coming. Pants are tight. Metabolism has changed without the nic which will surely drive me back if I can't get it under control. Vain. Don’t know how to exist with fat. Cats are good. Fountain is gone. Gave away. They didn’t like it. Ghost of dead feral that died under the house haunts me a bit. Poor guy. No sign of Deaf Black Cat lately. I always think he’s dead then he comes. Hating tea a bit. Niece was in town. Had a good time. Other niece. Not the one that’s been here before. Definitely think it’s better I’m not a parent. Buying records compulsively. Not good. Crazy. Why? Why? Why? Do I really need REO Speedwagon’s ‘You Can Tune a Piano But You Can't Tuna Fish?' Do I? No. Did I have it in high school because my dead friend Dave liked it? Yes. Did I listen to ‘Roll with the Changes’ a lot? Yes. Do I NEED it? Do I? I bought it. Two bucks. That’s where I’m at. Chubby. Jonsing. Rolling with the changes. Confidence not great with fat. Fuse short. Painter is good. We’re doing okay. No crazy shit. Fat…fat. Fuck. Craving.

On TUESDAY we will post my talk with St. Vincent, a.k.a Annie Clark. She’s intense and together. Interesting artist. On Thursday me and Adam Goldberg get a bit unruly musically and talk about a variety of things. We kind of match crazies. Good times.

Enjoy!

Boomer lives!


Love,
Maron