Even in this digital age, we can still have album release parties so let’s throw one for Ed Hill.
Hill’s second CD “Weirdo Whisperer” is scheduled to be released today, and having heard an advance copy that Hill emailed me last week, I can confidently say it deserves some fanfare.
A stand-up comedian from Taiwan who lives in Vancouver, Hill recorded “Weirdo Whisperer” in Seattle at a theater some say is haunted. Hill learned about this while he was doing some crowd work on stage and it became one of the best tracks on the record. “Scary Kids” is another favorite of mine and if you’re getting a spooky vibe, that probably isn’t unintentional. Like most of us, Hill has fears both rational and irrational and he weaves them into funny stories and jokes that make up an entertaining hour of stand-up.
I first interviewed Hill after last year’s Cape Fear Comedy Festival in Wilmington where I saw him do a couple of memorable sets. When he informed me he was releasing a new CD, I wanted to ask him some questions about the record so Hill and I had a quick email exchange to do just that. Ghosts are mentioned.
Enjoy the interview, buy a digital or hard copy of “Weirdo Whisperer” on Hill’s website, follow him , and don’t forget The Best Tweet I Can Find in Five Minutes at the end.
Tony Castleberry: How involved were you in the editing process?
Ed Hill: Columbia City Theater in Seattle, where the album was recorded, had a live recording studio built in it so all the mixing was done on site. I did all of the post-production work and edited out all the times I decided to say “um” and “ah” instead of something meaningful.
TC: Anything you wish you’d done differently after listening to the finished product?
EH: I wish I said less “ums” and “ahs”. I also wish the theater wasn’t haunted. I was actually pretty scared.
TC: Was the crowd work planned?
EH: None of the crowd work was planned. It was all spontaneous. The comics who opened the show were pretty shocked that I did crowd work during a live recording. Apparently it either takes a lot of courage or I am just really that dumb.
TC: Do you have a favorite joke or bit on the record?
EH: My favorite is the fact I found out on stage from Paul, the bartender, that the theater is super haunted, and the haunting predominantly takes place on stage. I believe it’s track seven titled, “Ghosts.”
TC: You talk about your family, particularly your dad, a lot on the CD. Is he proud that you have another album out?
EH: I don’t even think he knows this whole thing is happening.
Here it is, The Best Tweet I Can Find in Five Minutes:
https://twitter.com/MichelleHux/status/724604957182287872
