Former David Letterman warmup comedian Eddie Brill stopped in Athens to entertain a cozy crowd in the backroom of Donkey Coffee and Espresso Thursday night. The Post sat down with Brill after the show to chat about his visit.
Eddie Brill got real laughs with fake animal noises.
At Donkey Coffee and Espresso, comedian Eddie Brill, former warmup for David Letterman, got loads of laughs from a crowded backroom Thursday night. Prior to Brill’s performance Alex Baumann, Christian Power and Peter Vilardi — all of Ohio University’s comedy group Blue Pencil Comedy — excited the crowd with jokes about their personal appearance and the GoBus. Vilardi even played the piano.
Brill stopped in Athens on his way to Amesville, Ohio to do a benefit show for a charity called the Back Pack Initiative, which helps feed families of students from Amesville Elementary School. During his set, his jokes ranged from topics like the “jazzy” atmosphere of Donkey to how humans came up with inaccurate animal noises.
“How the hell did we get cock-a-doodle-doo?” Brill joked.
After the show, The Post sat down with Brill and discussed his visit to Athens and what kind of comedy he enjoys.
The Post: Have you ever been to Athens before?
Eddie Brill: Never. I just got in this afternoon. After tonight’s show, I have to do a benefit and then the day after I have to go to Pittsburgh to do another charity benefit. So I picked up this gig too. It was fun for me, I just played and had a lot of fun.
P: What was it like working with David Letterman?
EB: It was great. He’s a really smart man and very loyal to the people he works with. It was really fun to work for someone who has that integrity. It makes coming to work every day really exciting because he’s one of the last broadcasters. It’s not only about the comedy. It’s also about his interviews with dignitaries and people in the industry, of every industry. I thought it was really quality. Plus at the Ed Sullivan Theater (was) where The Beatles came, The Supremes. It was so nice to work on that stage every night for 17 years.
P: What would you say is your favorite type of comedy?
EB: Smart and silly.
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P: Your favorite comedians?
EB: George Carlin was my hero. I love Lily Tomlin. She’s not a stand-up, but her comedy has always been really smart and really great. Those are two of my favorites. Richard Pryor. There’s so many.
P: What did you think of the students from Blue Pencil?
EB: I thought they were very talented. And I thought that they were very inventive because all three of them did different things. Alex went up and did his thing with the soundtrack, which was really smart. Then Christian did straight stand-up which was great. And then Peter did musical comedy so it was a really nice combination of comedy. It was fun for me.
P: Did you like the setting of the crowd tonight?
EB: Yes. I like playing with the crowd.
P: Like when those guys walked into the room, in the middle of your show, you just joked without any preparation.
EB: I wanted them to feel welcomed instead of feeling lousy. Because some comics will taunt them in a way that’s negative. And it shouldn’t be a negative experience. It should be a cool, fun experience. It’s not just me on stage. It’s the whole room.
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P: Do you prefer big crowds or more intimate settings?
EB: Yeah. I mean, I don’t mind. I’ve worked in front of 11,000 people, which is the most I’ve ever worked in front of live. And I’ve worked on television in front of millions of people, but I love the intimate setting of a small room. Because it’s fun and very playful.
P: Is there anything else you’d like to add?
EB: I had a lot of fun tonight. I had a lot of fun playing with the crowd. I love doing the material but I love playing with the crowd.
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