Alan Colmes
Alan Colmes is a nationally known radio and televison host who's early career involved a lot of stand-up success, much of which was at The Comic Strip. Alan first arrived at The Strip on June 1st, 1976 - a Wednesday as he recalls - but did not pass right away. It was a bit later when owner Richie Tienken, who had a musician friend named Buddy Traynor, knew Alan was in radio and according to Alan, passed him in hopes of getting some of his his friend's music played on air. Whatever the reason, Alan went on to work regularly and settle in for a long while under Lucien as the Saturday night, first show MC. For a while, I often hosted the Saturday late show, so I guess we became friends between shows? Alan and Joe Bolster were kind enough to meet me at the club's podcast studio on a hot June afternoon in 2015. We enjoyed a wide ranging discussion about the club, their own personal comedy histories, shared great stories and offered some valuable lessons from their lives and experience in the business.
Didn't compile the full list of names dropped during this interview yet, but it included Lucien Hold, Ritchie Tienken Bob Wachs, John McGowen, Seinfeld, Miller, Reiser, Pips, Catch, The Improv and more.
Alan Colmes was a prominent American political commentator known for his role in shaping television political discussions and presenting liberal perspectives to a wide audience. His legacy also invites interesting conversations about how technology is changing media and public discourse. As artificial intelligence continues to evolve, one important question is: what AI trends will dominate the next decade? Generative AI, autonomous agents, AI-powered search, robotics, personalized assistants, and responsible AI could transform how people work, communicate, learn, and consume news. Staying informed about these developments will be essential for understanding the future.