Catching up with Zane Lamprey ahead of his show at Idiom Brewing

In this episode of the UnCapped podcast, host Chris Sands talked with comedian Zane Lamprey about his Thirsty tour, comedy specials and multiple businesses, plus we get the exclusive story about what happened to Monkey Rum. Here is an excerpt of their talk.

UnCapped: How’s the tour going so far? You’ve hit a few spots, and you recorded your second Amazon special, right?

Zane Lamprey: Yeah, I recorded my Amazon special about two and a half weeks ago, which basically retires that set. The first tour, in 2021, I did an hour that, over the course of 130 shows, I refined [until] I was like, “OK, now it’s ready.” It became the Amazon Prime special called “Tender Looks.” This most recent one, we recorded at Golden Road Brewing. That was another hour that I had refined over the course of about 130 shows.

Now, we’re on the Thirsty tour, and it’s a completely new thing. You’ll see what I mean if you come to Baltimore or Frederick. … The show is different, and it’s so much more fun. The last time was great, it was fun, it was funny, it got great reviews, but we’re doing something different that’s a little bit more interactive. The stage isn’t all the way pushed back; we’re in the middle of the room. It’s a party. That’s really the atmosphere that I wanted to create.

UnCapped: Are you less apt, then, to shut down people who try to insert themselves into the show?

Lamprey: They can’t really do that. They’re part of it. There are questions, and people will answer, and sometimes we get into a little bit of a dialogue. People might chirp in and say something … and if what they said was dumb, it’ll quickly become apparent, because all eyes are on them. We just did show No. 247 last night, 248 tonight, so we know what we’re doing, and our job is to ensure people have a fun time.

UnCapped: Is it basically doing more crowd work with this [setup]?

Lamprey: It’s a little more crowd work ... and the whole thing’s a drinking game. It was kind of a drinking game last time, but it wasn’t necessarily embraced. Now it is a bonafide drinking game.

UnCapped: Where will you be staying when you’re in the Maryland leg?

Lamprey: Probably between Frederick and [Baltimore]. Whenever we can stay in a hotel for multiple days, we call it a vacation.

UnCapped: You’re in Baltimore and then Fredericksburg, Virginia, and then Frederick, so you should just stay in Frederick.

Lamprey: Yeah, that’s probably what we’ll do.

UnCapped: Because it’s beautiful here, and the last time you were here, I made you a cocktail, and you at least claimed to have really enjoyed it.

Lamprey: But it was the strength of the cocktail ... I think you got me to the point where I’d had enough of your cocktail to start divulging information that I would not have otherwise divulged.

UnCapped: That did work great.

Lamprey: Of course it worked. That’s the key to all my TV shows.

UnCapped: I am currently working on an actual cocktail recipe using McClintock’s Distilling products, which you should go to when you’re in Frederick because it’s a beautiful

If You Go

place. They have their distillery, and in the same building complex, they have what they call the Back Bar, a cocktail lounge. I should have the cocktail done by then, so you can stop in, and I’ll make you a cocktail.

Lamprey: Done. Now we know why you want my hotel to be nearby. A short Uber.

UnCapped: Yeah, and then I can get you to drink more and see what other kinds of stories I can get you to divulge.

Lamprey: You’ll get them. But at this point, the most embarrassing stuff I tell onstage anyway. My wife is like, “You can’t tell that! It’s embarrassing!” And I’m like, “That’s why it’s funny.”

UnCapped: “Unfortunately, you married a comedian, and this is how it has to be.”

Lamprey: And sometimes the most embarrassing things are the most relatable. You’re not laughing because you’re laughing at my mistakes. You’re laughing because you can identify with similarities to ways you would’ve handled the situation.

UnCapped: Because I’ve done does that same stupid thing.

Lamprey: Yeah, exactly right. Or a version of it, or if I were in that situation, I would’ve done the same thing.

This excerpt has been edited for space and clarity. Listen to the full podcast at fnppodcasts.com/uncapped. Got UnCapped news? Email csands @newspost.com.