Kill Tony #725 — Matt Rife, Adam Ray

Set: Cassandra's first-ever standup set about asking her cousin for bedroom advice, leading to a joke about introducing racial slurs into intimate situations with her white husband.

Interview: Tony learns this is her first time ever on stage, that she owns a food truck called Slothful Waffle with her white husband, and they met in Palm Springs. Discussion of her mixed-race identity (half Black, half Ecuadorian) and family background.

Set: BC's set about making fun of overweight people, their shoes, and a fat friend who kicked out a bottle of Hershey's syrup from his car.

Interview: Tony roasts BC's appearance extensively. BC has been doing standup for 3 years in Atlanta and LA. He's a set builder for commercials including Home Depot. Claims to be 5 years clean from crack cocaine.

Set: Jonathan's first standup set about looking like 'Ari Maddie MGK' and an encounter with an old man who thought he was gay, plus commentary on code-switching in gay groups.

Interview: First-time standup performer. Works in HVAC. From Augusta, Georgia. Has tattoos including one that says 'you crack me up' and a problematic matching tattoo situation with an ex.

Set: Aaron is going blind in his left eye (wearing an eye patch), was hospitalized without insurance, ate a Tide pod, and makes jokes comparing pet insurance coverage to human healthcare, joking about becoming a dog for better coverage.

Interview: Aaron explains he's visited five doctors in a week while uninsured and quit his job but makes enough as a comedian to pay cash. Tony and panel make eye patch/pirate jokes throughout.

Set: First-time standup about racial confusion. Jeremiah has been with a Black woman but Black friends say it doesn't count due to a 'threshold of blackness.' He contrasts this with Puerto Ricans who say the N-word without issue.

Interview: First-time performer. Got a 7-month government severance after being fired, worked in systems maintenance from home. Now a Tony-approved new comedian.

Set: Under-one-year comic from Nashville (originally Calgary, Canada). Sets up joke about Metallica being Christian rock due to 'Enter Sandman,' his uncle's murder-suicide. Also jokes about not wanting to hang around gay dudes due to expenses.

Interview: From Calgary, Alberta. Works in construction (renovations/new builds). Does open mics at least weekly at The Lab in Nashville. Married with three kids (8, 5, 3—two boys, one girl). Previously worked as a cremator.

Set: Nashville native and Kill Tony regular in wheelchair. Jokes about disabled hierarchy, bathroom independence equals street cred. Comments on Southern saying 'God gives toughest battles to strongest warriors'—from her perspective, audience looks weak.

Interview: Engaged to Matt Taylor. Just started podcast 'Ramping Up.' Shares shocking story about ex-boyfriend who peed in mason jars instead of using bathroom, one of which spilled on her head while on bed. DraftKings bet reference about catching bouquet.

Set: Kill Tony debut. Grew up one of five white kids in all-Black school, looked like Waldo in yearbook. Girl told him he looked like Kevin Bacon from Footloose. Did 23andMe test, joked that results said he's transgender (got fat breasts). Actually Irish and Native American with DUIs in family.

Interview: Civil engineer overseeing construction sites. Likes hiking at Radner Lake near Nashville. Former Marine water engineer with one bad knee. Wears hats that were suggested by comedians backstage. Described as 'misshapen' with short legs, big body, tiny head.

Set: Kam does 50+ seconds about a female friend in hospital beaten by boyfriend (black eye, broken ribs, fractured leg). He asks 'What did we learn?' She replies 'Don't date your favorite comedian.' Ends with: 'That's all I got.'

Interview: Extensive riffing on Kam's outfit: sweatpants with cowboy boots. Tony and panel make country music references and call him various country artist names ('Dolly Parton and the Black guy,' etc.). Kam gets progressively annoyed about being roasted.

Set: First-time performer. Sets up joke about double standard: coworker announcing pregnant woman at 6cm dilation is acceptable, but his prior comments about woman's tightness got him sent to HR. Also jokes about his three disappointing kids: atheist lesbian daughter, daughter dating Mexican man, and ungrateful son.

Interview: First-time standup, only about a minute of practice. Chose Nashville over Austin open mic because it's closer. Works custom cabinetry and cooks at restaurant. Formerly in band that got successful after he left (he was 'the anchor'.

Set: Estonian comedian (pursuing US citizenship). Nashville experience: at house party, talking to girl, guy pulled out guitar ('there goes my pussy'). Doesn't trust guys good at things. Estonia: accordion, not guitar. Accordion sounds like communism: 'There is never enough bread.' Accordion makes you suicidal.

Interview: Matt Rife flirts extensively with Ari. Tony discusses Nashville residency possibilities, compares Austin and Nashville vibes. Discusses tornado chair incident at rooftop bar. Redband was left at Kid Rock's bar overnight.

Set: Canadian comedian (set bombed). Defends himself for being late—was getting 'busy' with Haley backstage. Nashville women: jokes about largest women's prison in US, 'easy ass after 10pm.' Rushed ending thanking crowd. Left long pauses for jokes that didn't land.

Interview: Couple years of standup. Tony critiques his Canadian excuses and national anthem booing. Two broken vertebrae post-high school from wrestling. Works for large American company in Canada. Crowd consistently boos him.

Set: Golden Ticket regular. Short set: French horn is sexy instrument (fist in it). Ted Bundy volunteered at suicide hotline but nobody talks about lives he saved. Ends abruptly: 'I'll end it there.'

Interview: Took nap during tornado warning, didn't evacuate. Possibly attended or missed drag brunch. Mixed up with Aaron Balile (both in wheelchairs/mobility issues). Tony mentions Martin has record for most Golden Ticket appearances. Invites him to party in Memphis.

Set: Four-year comic from Dayton, Ohio. Girl on social media saying she'll kill herself if she doesn't get 25 likes. He messages encouragement; she leaves him on read. Reveals he sells weed to her sister, tells her to kill herself. Crowd boos heavily throughout.

Interview: 29 years old. Works Door Dash and sells weed. Mother deceased (cremated). Tries to plug open mic in Dayton with friend Jeff Allen. Tony shuts him down, says Dayton doesn't matter. Called 'least liked American of the night.'

Set: 15-year comedy veteran (since ~2009). At 17, was in middle back seat of car without seatbelt during accident. The two guys next to him died, but he survived. Now those guys are dead from opioids. Quick callback: 'Everyone survived the accident, but those guys are dead.'

Interview: Started in Charleston, SC, then Atlanta, New York, LA. Did show with Tony at LA Ice House on Valentine's Day 2020 (made woman cry calling her lady of the night). Works remotely for research company AlphaSense. Self-produced comedy special using day job money.

Set: 11-year-old comic. Mother named him to be alcoholic by 21. After school goes to YMCA (calls it 'hell'). Friends there barely older than kids, have pimples. Friend Jackson is 5'4''. Kids forced to wash hands daily like they have disease, eat expired food.

Interview: 11 years old from Lexington, Kentucky. Writes jokes himself; runs them by parents (both present). Watches show with dad, occasionally. Doesn't curse much (says 'poop' when asked for favorite curse word). Awarded Golden Ticket to Madison Square Garden.