I was pleasantly surprised when I got a call Sunday from my buddy Pauly Shore…
“Hey Bud-dy, it’s Pauly, wanna come have brunch with me, greasy.”
I told Pauly that was nice of him, but it was snowing pretty hard and my Lotus doesn’t get around very well in the snow. Shore insisted and said he’d send a driver to pick me up at my condo in Fairway. And he was quick to tell me that he worked Saturday at the Improv at Zona Rose and sold out both shows. Then I told him, even though the weather was dicey, we’d sold out both shows with Erik Griffin from “Workaholics.”
In this biz, everyone is always trying to one up the other guy – it never ends.
I hadn’t seen Pauly Shore in nearly a decade. He and his management are tied to the Improv, so he’s exclusive to their clubs in cities where there’s an Improv, including KC. The Improv here hangs on tightly to Shore because he’s one of the few non-urban acts they still do well with. In fact, Shore has never played our Legends location. Pauly reminded me that he and I have quite a history together. Including his borrowing my idea for a comedy club TV series, in 2003. We had a deal with Comedy Central for a Stanford & Sons show. And since we had the same agent at CAA, Pauly was able to finagle a deal with network tv for a series called Minding the Store that lasted one season.
Most of you know Pauly’s lengthy career stats; he broke into the scene with the magic of MTV as a VJ in the late 1980s and followed with his own MTV show, Totally Pauly. Then he went on a run of successful movies which included Encino Man, Son-in-Law, Bio-Dome, In The Army Now and Jury Duty. As his filmed career waned in the late 1990s, Pauly returned to doing stand-up with TV specials on Comedy Central, Showtime and HBO along with appearances on late night television and shows like Entourage.
He told me he didn’t have many friends outside of his home town and I was one of them.
“Hell, I’ve known you almost 20 years now,” he said. I reminded Pauly that in the late 90s when he first appeared at Stanford’s, there was a line of gorgeous girls – all 9’s and 10’s – waiting outside the green room door to go out with us in the limo after the show.
I said, “Remember,the one who was my date; a young Greek woman that you stole from me that night?” I was pissed.
“Or the time you had Bobby Slayton come in and ask me how it felt to be sold out with a line down the street and have no talent whatsoever – remember that?” Shore asked me.
“I paid you back by hooking you up with that crazy porno chick the next year,” I shot back.
And back and forth it went for like 20 minutes. We talked about everything from who’s selling tickets today – like Jim Jeffries and TJ Miller – to the guys from Pauly’s era still working the clubs. And acts still selling tickets like Carlos Mencia and Ralphie May.
Shore looked great, still trim and very recognizable.
When we walked into the bagel joint, every person in there mobbed him for an autograph and he complied with a smile. He opened up towards the end of our rendezvous and said, “Craig, we’re the lucky ones. Even though much of the fun in our lives is just a blur now, we’re lucky to have been at this level in the entertainment business at all. The people we met, the things we’ve seen, the places we’ve been. My life’s kinda on cruise control now, doing stand-up specials and corporate events. I still make seven figures a year, and I can’t bitch about that, but the days of being The Weasel are long gone and won’t come again, but what a fun ride.”
Besides, he and I own two of the longest running comedy clubs out there.
Shore told me he was sorry to hear about my younger brother Jack’s death, and reminded me of the week he brought his father, Sammy Shore in to do stand-up with him back in the day.
The snow had stopped and it was getting late.
Pauly reminded me he had one more show that night at the Improv and it was time to go.
I told him I’d be in LA in March working on my projects and maybe we’d see each other then. Truth is, who knows if we’ll ever see each other again. But I think it was cool of Shore to go out of his way and spend some time with me and relive the old days.
It also occurred to me how many people like to down the guy and belittle his success. But God knows he’s been successful and still is to this day.
Meeting with Pauly reminded me of why being in this business and my life has been blessed. Making friends with giants in the Industry has been a real treat.
People like Tommy Chong, Lewis Black, Damon Wayans, Ali – the list is long. So when things seem dark and dim, I only have to roll back the images in my mind of the people, places and adventures I’ve had over the last few decades. That and the time I spent sharing a bagel with my friend Pauly Shore as the snow fell and a ticking clock reminded me of how lucky I’ve been.
Thanks for sharing, CG. A bit of Where-Are-They-Now? blended with a few nostalgic anecdotes and a heaping dallop of personal pride. If Pauly Shore is still pulling down 7 figures I’d say he’s doing all right. But how about sharing the back story on how he earned the name The Weasel?
super cool guy. I think his mom/parents owned the comedy club in l.a.
where he started.
Was in vegasstaying at the palms because I had done biz with the maloufs
who were the major private investors in wells fargo.
Went to the sky boxes at rain andwe were partying waiting for a former
kc girl and really good friend of ours who used to work at the cigar box
downtown kc to come up and have some drinks. She finally got there
and lo and behold she was with pauly.
He really is a cool guy…and to say the least the night wasa blast.
He had a great career and even though at that time he didn’t
have much out in public then he was still a ton of fun.
As for rain…it was the hottest club invegas then. The palms had just
finished being the home location for the show “REAL WORLD” ON
mtv and was packed every night. And they had the best steakhouse
ever…think it was called 9.
Next day we had a whole side of the pool reserved by our friend and
her “employees” and had a blast which someday I’ll tell about….truth it
would make glaze’s stories seem lame in comparison.
Glad pauly is still going strong….cool dude!!!!!
Well you are the crazy one Harley. But yeah Pauly is always worth the trip, fun guy. Has a big heart.
when you see pauly or talk to him…mention TIFFANY…
from kc now in vegas.
she lived with robin leach out in vegas before she
started her “journalistic” career out in vegas when
she moved there.
great gal….had an employee named CHAR that would
have knocked the socks off anyone of the hotties
in this town!!!!!! she got engaged to a dentist in vegas
and we neer heard from her again.
While we were at that palms that time…all tiffanys
friends were at the pool….day parties were huge.
Then they got a call from some nba player who was
staying at the palms and all them left us to go party
with him and his buddies.
maloufs at that time owend an nba team (kings) and they
build a suite especially for nba players with 8 foot long
beds and bball court in the rooms.
The maloufs were something else. Dad had passed and
they/their sister and mom took everything over.
they took the kings from kc but still good cool dudes.
next time you see pauly tell him Harley said hello….
cool dude…and down to earth.
also….met and ran into bobby slayton and shummel
many times in vegas…they were a trip together….
great stories…
your friend
harley
Did you guys talk about your WWE Wrestling career?
Yes I was sick of being the ‘heel’ ?
“I got into town a little early, had 8 hours to kill before the show. First i thought about heading up north of the bay, then i knew where i had to go…”
As i was reading this, Harry Chapin was playing in my head.
“And the Cat’s in the cradle and the silver moon….” yep.
Silver SPOON, dumbass.
Yep
It makes sense because all your careers are one giant car fire on the Long Island Expressway.
Well having one at these levels is the hard part. Avoiding a wreck here and there is next to impossible.
Took the significant other to see Pauly Shore this past Saturday night at the Improv in Zona Rosa. It was a packed house and Pauly was pretty darn funny. Will head back to see Bob Saget, and also Paul Mooney when he comes to town. The Improv keeps chugging along, despite predictions of doom by Glazer. I will continue to frequent the establishment as it’s not a far drive, they book good acts, and I don’t have to travel all the way downtown or over into suck ass Kansas.
i’ll defend glaze on this one.
been to improve….glazes place is as nice if not nicer.
luie Anderson/bobcat/jj/kia/bobby slayton/and the rest of his
lineup makes the improve look like amatuers.
and remind me dude…how many times has the improve closed down?
they’ve got national cnnections so they can get talent not to play
at glazes place or they get left out of the other improves….and that’s
from the manager of imrpov.
glaze is a local business guy…work his ass off…is a great pr person…
so attacking the guy is hardly fair when he’s survived when the
top dogs in comedy have failed in this market..
wasn’t there funny bone and other comedy clubs here in town
that came and wentl
kudos to glaze…he deserves some accolades for making it in a
very competitive business…
guy….tell us what you’ve done if anything!!!!!!
Douchenozzle, just STFU. I didn’t attack Glazer at all. Just reminded him that he’d predicted the downfall of the Improv more than once. And it hasn’t happened. And to my knowledge they’ve never really closed down in Zona Rosa, just moved to a building about 50 yards away. Regardless, until Glazer gets a club up and running that’s not out in the sticks of Kansas, I’ll continue to frequent the Improv. What about it Glaze..weren’t you supposed to have a room at the Uptown, but then decided to another location in Midtown? When’s all that coming to fruition? Last I looked at your Stanford’s website, I couldn’t find anything about that location.
We did the advertised winter concert series there for 6 weeks on Broadway as a test run. Stanfords will have a new spot soon more in the city. You say the KCK and Legends is the sticks? Well to you, but to those who live that way and even western Jo. County it isn’t. Those people come from somewhere. Remember folks who don’t live North rarely go to the Improv because its too far out…works both ways.
They did close their first place out there. They were not open again for more than a year. I again have nothing against them, we both draw from different areas, their original closing didn’t up our numbers much nor did our moving from Metcalf to Legends in 07 do much for them.
Keep us updated CG. I’d like for their to be another comedy club in the midtown area. If there are acts that interest me, I’ll be first in line to buy tickets. Nothing against you personally, I’m just not driving out to Kansas.
stupid idiot….glaze just proved you wrong AGAIN!
they never closed down? that’s what you said
…well glaze told you they did. THEY CLOSED
idiot!!!!!
and glaze has stayed open.
Your negativity is not needed. take it back to
greg halls site where they hate your comments
and they make a fool of you.
you said glazer predicted doom…no he didn’t
…..but they closed down…how do I know…
I heard it from the great comic Robert shummel
when I saw him in phoenix prior to his
auto accident.
so stfu guy…every time you put your foot in your
mouth.
Don’t like Kansas….stick up north where nothing
is happening.
seenthe construction and building and beautiful
homes and expansion are rampant….not in Missouri
dude….COME OUT TO GODS COUNTRY.
no…on the other hand stay up north in that
god forsaken nasty hole you live in.
oh …and is Nebraska furniture mart in the sticks..
nascar….cerner new expansion…for a lowly
stick in the mud old guy that’s the sticks?
fastest growing area in the metro…oh asnd how about
that beautiful soccer stadium.
Please guy….stay up north. Theres not even near
the money up north that there is in other areas
of the city.
stay up north…with the mobile home parks…
beat down buildings….old washed up real estate
that’s empty …..section 8 housing eveyrthwere
…..a nasty odor that permeates the entire area
from the smokestacks….great places to go like
RIVERSIDE RED x…OR gold buffett…or
the beauty of north oak and its pay day loan
stores on every corner….or the few housing
areas over $180k….please guy…don’t come to
Kansas.
we’re kicking your ass taking every decent business
away becaue you have nothing to offer
north of the river.
oh and zona rosa…that’s barely making it from
what I heard….look at the vacancies.
Stay up there guy with those people you hang
with including your “significant other” .
We don’t want nor need you and the north kc
crowd trashing up our beautuifl shopping areas..
subdivisions….recreational areas ……clean
neat immaculate neighbrohoods.
stay up north…that’s where you belong!!!!!!!!!!!
obviously you’re not the brightest either..glaze
has said at least 10 times about his biz plans
in midtown…maybe catch up wti thte restof the
world dude…because the world is so much
nicer on the south side of the river.
good luck. You made a fool of yourself again….
hahahahahahah!
Harley you’re the biggest tool on either of the sites and everyone knows it. I’ve never seen a guy spend so much typing up stuff, yet say so little. And don’t worry Harley, I don’t live anywhere close to the areas you mention in your diatribe. Piss on Kansas and the whole Legends area. NASCAR track? Who cares? Soccer stadium? Who cares? A casino? Whoopee. Cerner campus? Cerner’s building another campus that will put that one to shame on the Missouri side. None of that shit out there interests me in the least. There is nothing out at the Legends that I need.
I’ll ask him Harley
I never knocked the Improv, its nice, they have their guys we have ours…to each his own. Once in a while we use the same comics..not often.
How soon do you book the Sklar brothers?
We booked them last year and they moved, they got that nice national commercial run, I will look into bringing them this fall. I like them.
Bob Saget coming to Improv week after next
he is off the hook – must see!
Tickets already purchased for Bob Saget and Paul Mooney.
you have to take money from the kids piggy bank?
Nope. I make plenty of money to afford whatever I need. Unfortunately for you, I don’t fit your narrative of someone who lives north of the river.
So now we are a billboard for Improv attractions. OK. Bob is a good guy, he played Stanfords in Westport before any other place in KC. We had Paul as well. Both interesting people for sure. Both clubs have big names coming soon. Stanfords has more cutting edge new stars than the Improv, and they would admit that. They have set up for more urban stars and acts they use in other clubs that don’t always have a following here. Hey we both make mistakes. Weather and time of year are huge issues in KC. More than most cities. Bob will draw, Paul will struggle, way it is.
Paul can be pretty rough, political, and race heavy. You have to have a pretty thick skin and take things lightly when seeing that guy. Not sure he translates really well to the conservative types, but I think he’s downright hilarious. My first introduction to him was his album “Race”. I nearly had a siezure listening to it.
sounds and looks like you had some severe braindamage during that seizure….
see a doctor…but stay up north….that’s where its “happening”…
guy…come out south..see 135th and Metcalf…talk about
moving and shaking.
while you sit and wallow in the drudgery of north kc
we’re rockin and rolling.
and again..never doubt Harley….you just look like
a fool….again and again and again..
and if you’re lucky..maybe we’ll invite you and your
significant other to come out and see how the
real people in joco and nearby live.
it will give you a taste of what its like to live in
a beautiful area and environment.
the improve is nice…but its not close to stanfords.
lots of “urban” comics…so we know one thing
for shure…. chuck ain’t goin up there!!!!! hahahahaha
GMAFB! Your idiocy knows no bounds. I wouldn’t live in any section of Kansas if you paid me. Mainly because it’s infested with self absorbed morons like yourself.
What the hell did you just fucking write about me, you little bitch? I’ll have you know I graduated top of my class at Beverly Hills High, and I’ve been involved in numerous stand up specials, and I have over 300million confirmed box office. I am trained in weasel warfare and I’m the best at taking down hecklers and haters. You are nothing to me but just another industry connection. I will wipe you the heck out in this business with precision the likes of which has never been seen before on this Earth, mark my words, buddy. You think you can get away with saying that shit to me over the Internet? Think again, gordo. As we speak I am contacting my business connections in the industry in hollywood and across the USA and your IP is being traced right now so you better prepare for the storm. The storm that wipes out the pathetic little thing you call your career. You’re fucking dead in this town and have been for decades, kid.
I can be anywhere, anytime, and I can kill any audience with laughter in over seven hundred ways, and that’s just with my 90s material. Not only am I extensively trained in standup, but I have access to the entire arsenal of the UCB and I will use it to its full extent to wipe your miserable ass off the face of the continent, you little shart. If only you could have known what unholy retribution your little “clever” article was about to bring down upon you, maybe you would have held your fucking tongue. But you couldn’t, you didn’t, and now you’re paying the price, you goddamn idiot. I will crap fury all over you and you will drown in it. You’re dead to me and to the producers in this town, kiddo.
What the hell did you just write about me, you little bitch? I’ll have you know I graduated top of my class at Beverly Hills High, and I’ve been involved in numerous stand up specials, and I have over 300million confirmed box office worldwide. I am trained in weasel warfare and I’m the best at taking down hecklers and haters. You are nothing to me but just another industry connection. I will wipe you the heck out in this business with precision the likes of which has never been seen before on this Earth, mark my words, buddy. You think you can get away with saying that baloney to me over the Internet? Think again, gordo. As we speak I am contacting my business connections in the industry in hollywood and across the USA and your IP is being traced right now so you better prepare for the storm. The storm that wipes out the pathetic little thing you call your career. You’re dead in this town and have been for decades, kid.
I can be anywhere, anytime, and I can kill any audience with laughter in over seven hundred ways, and that’s just with my 90s material. Not only am I extensively trained in standup, but I have access to the entire arsenal of the UCB and I will use it to its full extent to wipe your miserable ass off the face of the continent, you little shart. If only you could have known what unholy retribution your little “clever” article was about to bring down upon you, maybe you would have held your tongue. But you couldn’t, you didn’t, and now you’re paying the price, you idiot. I will crap fury all over you and you will drown in it. You’re dead to me and to the producers in this town, kiddo.
Funny but not Pauly.