INTERVIEW: Comedian Jim Breuer On The New York Mets, Stand-Up, Goat Boy, His Music And More

Jim Breuer, a native Long Islander, is set to make a triumph return home. The hilarious comedian, who spent four years on Saturday Night Live and was named one of Comedy Central’s 100 Greatest Stand Ups Of All Time, is back at the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center (WHBPAC) on Saturday, April 16th and Hamptons.com caught up with Breuer to chat about his upcoming performance at WHBPAC, the release of Songs From The Garage, his first full-length album, the inspiration for Goat Boy and the New York Mets.

I have to start off by saying I’m a huge Mets fan and your postgame social media posts are the best.

JB: It’s created a whole new family. It’s created a whole new dynamic in my shows and in my family. It’s become like another family member. I’m on planes and people come up to me and go ‘I just gotta tell you I’m a big Mets fan.’ It’s just so cool.

And we finally have something to celebrate.

JB: Oh man, yes we do!

Are you ready for the home opener at Citi Field?

JB: I am ready for it. Unfortunately I’ll be working that day so I can’t go. And I missed the opener in Kansas City. I had tickets for it, but my flight was delayed in Detroit.

How are you feeling about this season?

JB: I expect nothing but going to the World Series and winning it, I really do. Last year, when I started making the videos from game 1, there were no expectations. Just let’s have a great year and have fun as a Mets fan. This year, it’s hey, this is what we expect and we will expect nothing less. You show up with this attire or you’re kicked out of the club. We are winning, case closed.

Do you have a favorite player?

JB: Right now, it’s Noah Syndergaard. And that started at the end of last year. I love Noah and I love [Jacob] deGrom. I love those guys. I love [Curtis] Granderson. But, right now, if I had to go with one, I’m going Noah Syndergaard.

I’m mean, how could you not go with Thor?

JB: In the World Series, when he said, ‘If they have a problem with me throwing inside, then they can meet me 60 feet, six inches away…’ I’m going to say he’s been the very best pitcher since September of last year, in all of baseball. No one has pitched better.

Songs From The Garage, your first full-length album, is being released in May. Tell me a little bit about your band The Loud & Rowdy.

JB: It’s really cool. We do a podcast every week. This is like my Dream Team and they’re such an eclectic group. They’re into everything I am; family, talking deep. I have theology majors in this group. One guy, from his looks, you would think he’s a hippy or hipster, but he’s not. He’s never drank, he’s never smoked; he’s never done any of that in his life. His brother’s sort of a famous drummer. My lead guitarist toured with my all-time favorite singer from Judas Priest. He was in his band for years. And we all are addicted to playing wiffle ball and competing at everything. We compete at eating dinner, like who’s ordering the best dinner. All we do is play and compete like 12-year-old boys. They’ve got the same mission as me: we’re going to have a lot of fun with this. We’re not trying to say hey, we’re an amazing band and you have to listen, but everywhere we go, we’re going to play our A game. Even with my stand-up, I’m not there to collect a check and for you to go, ‘Oh, he’s nice.’ I want to leave and you to go, ‘You know what? He may not be the most famous comedian, but hands down that was the best I’ve ever seen.’ That’s my mission with the music and they have the same mission and I love it. And, I think we’re going to crush it.

And you guys have been together for 20 years?

JB: Not all of us. The band, we’ve been together about 6 years.

So why did The Loud & Rowdy decide to record an album now?

JB: Well, for years and years I would tour with a band. And I would mix rock with stand-up comedy and make it a fun event. As time went on, it was harder to tour and things happen. You start a family and you’re with the family. And then, I got some European shows and they were all rock festivals. When I went out there and did my rock impressions, it absolutely destroyed the place, DESTROYED! And then I brought the band to do what I used to do and that DESTROYED! People came up to us going, ‘Where’s the record?’ If they’re going this crazy over music they’ve never heard before, just think of how excited they’ll be when they have it in hand, they’re listening to it, and now they’re waiting for that particular song. So that began my search on how to make an album, and it was a LONG process. This was like a good three year process, at least. Finding a record company, then the producer, and then writing all the songs, making sure they’re really great, hours and hours of recording. I have so much respect for musicians. I just can’t believe how much time and effort and energy that they pour into their lives to put their art out there. It blows my mind.

Any plans to tour?

JB: Yes, I want to tour heavy in the fall and the winter. I know we have a couple little festivals, but as we speak, I’m working on New York warm up shows in the summer. All Tri-State shows, where you’d get to see the show, you’d get to hear the songs, but I’m also going to interact it with storytelling, maybe a little stand-up comedy, and we’ll also be creating a production of the tour that will go out. So, you’ll kind of see it all in the making.

Will you preview any of the songs at the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center?

JB: No, no, no. You know what I may do? I may play it over the loudspeaker. Right now people are coming to see me do stand-up comedy. They’re not ready for a rock metal band. I wouldn’t do that to them. When I pick the tour up, they will know this is Jim Breuer and the music.

Your Saturday Night Live character Goat Boy is iconic. What was the inspiration?

JB: The inspiration was I like doing things that are off the grid and I wanted to do a guy that kind of had a Tourette type thing but with a goat sound. Honestly, that came from when I was a kid on Long Island. I would do characters and one of them was this “goat thing” because I knew if the bartender thought I was a little off, he wouldn’t charge us. That was where it kind of started.

Do you have any moments that stand out from your time at SNL?

JB: I guess meeting Joe Pesci was one of my all-times. Making Lorne Michaels laugh and making Tom Hanks laugh on-air. That is a moment I still, to this day, think about; just watching him [Michaels] crack up and belly laugh, because that’s one of the most impossible things in the world. You’ve got Lorne Michaels and Howard Stern, the two giants of comedy, and to watch the two of them belly laugh is two of the favorite things I’ve got to do in my life.

Back to the show at WHBPAC, have you ever been to the Hamptons before?

JB: Oh yeah, I’ve played there and it was sold out, I think two years ago.

Do you have any favorite spots in the area?

JB: All of Long Island is fine. (He jokes) No, I just rolled in. I have friends out there so I usually go to my friend’s house and hang out and then we go to the show, and I’ll probably drive all the way back to Jersey.

What can the audience expect?

JB: I’ll touch a little bit on the Mets, and it’s very family driven. I think my audience knows now I don’t curse. I’m not dirty. I’m not filthily. But, I probably bring it just as hard as anyone you’ll see who’s a superstar.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

JB: Check out my podcast and Facebook and Let’s Go Mets.

Jim Breuer is performing at the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center on Saturday, April 16th at 8 p.m. Tickets begin at $65.

Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center is located at 76 Main Street in Westhampton Beach. For more information, call 631-288-1500 or visit www.whbpac.org. For more information about Jim Breuer, visit officialjimbreuer.com.