Drinking During Business Hours with Sarah Halstead and Rich Chassler

Sarah and Rich are back for their first show as a married couple! On this special edition, it is time to pop the champagne as the newlyweds welcome the man behind the music at their fabled nuptials! Robby Helperin runs Spotlight Music, an incredibly unique and amazing company that supplies insanely skilled musicians for weddings and other events. Hear about the wedding, a big hurdle Sarah and Rich faced heading into the event, and how Sarah and Rich stumbled into finding the right note for the entire evening! Cheers! You can learn more about Spotlight Music by visiting their website: https://www.spotlightmusic.com/about-us/

Sarah and Rich welcome comedian, animal rights advocate, and super-entrepreneur Katie Cazorla to the cellar for a conversation as opulent as a fine Cabernet! Get big laughs as Katie shares stories about her French speaking father, pregnancy, and opening up her own comedy club. Plus, get excellent tips on how to be a true friend to animals and why you should never hitchhike in Elmira, NY! Cheers!

On this episode, Sarah and Rich welcome comedian Tom Thakkar to the cellar for an in-depth conversation about the comedy scene! Tom shares his perspective on the differences between doing comedy in L.A., New York, and the Midwest. Also, how dark is too dark? No, we're not talking about a pinot noir...get insight into Tom's sense of humor, his process, and how he has tweaked some material when he realized it was maybe a little too rough around the edges. It is a comedy deep dive you cannot miss! Cheers!

Sarah and Rich welcome K-Earth 101's Greg Simms for a chat about his culinary exploits on his @grubwithgreg social accounts and some good nosh! Rich, Sarah, and Greg also gab about modern oldies stations, how Greg broke into the radio business, and so much more! Roll your sleeves up and get ready for some big bites on this food and wine edition of DDBH! Cheers!

Sarah and Rich are zoomin' back into the cellar and this time they welcome comedian and primatologist Natalia Reagan to the show! Find out about Natalia's unique spin on the science of comedy by implementing science comedy. Also, hear about some harrowing tales involving car crashes and animal attacks! This is an absolute blast of an episode with one of the most fascinating comedians out there today! Cheers!

As Dry January comes to a close, Sarah and Rich sit down to discuss the most dangerous couple's activity in the known world...wedding planning! Find out what Sarah and Rich are doing to prepare for the big day, what's coming up at the next big Bottle Shock Comedy show, and why the wedding cake business is completely out of control. Cheers!

It may be "Dry January," but the fun continues down in the cellar, as this week comedian/writer/producer Zooms in to chat with Sarah and Rich! Find out how Peter got to work on (arguably) the greatest sitcom ever, with stories from behind the scenes during his time on Seinfeld. Also, get another high-level comedy talk, as Sarah, Rich, and Peter discuss differences in approach to the craft when it comes to young comedians and some of the more grizzled veterans of the art. Oh, and find out why supermodels are no longer world famous and why L.A. is indeed a great place to live. Grab a mineral water and enjoy! Cheers!

This week, Sarah and Rich kick off the new year by welcoming with comedian/writer/actor, Garrick Bernard to talk standup and what it is currently like in some of TVs best writer's rooms. Grab a drink and go behind the scenes on some of TV's biggest shows as Garrick gives us a glimpse into writing for Solar Opposites, Star Trek: Lower Decks, and Rick and Morty. Also, if you want a thorough comedy chat, Sarah, Rich, and Garrick talk shop on everything from the various ways to attack crafting a joke, the differences between performing as a headliner versus a featured act, and the differences between being a good writer and being a good comedian. Start 2024 off with a glass and a smile, on this soup to nuts state of modern comedy discussion. Cheers!

It's the holiday season and this week, Sarah and Rich are down the cellar sharing a glass and some laughs about wedding planning, the perils of doing comedy on the road, and lovely little holiday party at the Hollywood Improv. Also, find out why Rich is a sucker for a sappy Christmas movie. Let the wine flow under the mistletoe on this holly jolly edition of Drinking During Business Hours! Cheers and happy holidays!

The wine flows, the jokes fly, and things get kind of "grapey" on this edition of Drinking During Business Hours, as Sarah and Rich welcome Claude Stuart to the show! Claude explains what it was like growing up in Mississippi and dreaming of getting into comedy, how he broke into the business, and how he actually is living the dream, raising a family and supporting them through his comedy. Plus, you will find out all about Claude's interesting hairdo and how he used to grind it out and work on his material while maintaining his prestigious side gigs at California Pizza Kitchen and Blockbuster Video. Take care, spike your hair, and enjoy another one on us! Cheers! Get more from Claude Stuart by visiting his website claudestuart.com.

On this episode, Sarah and Rich welcome comedian Erica Rhodes back to into the cellar for an absolutely fabulous bottle of white Sicilian wine and some hilarious conversation. Go behind the curtain and find out what it means when a comedian says, "good set," get the scoop on which celebrity Erica had an interesting scene with during the filming of a little-known horror movie and get real as Erica shares some of her own story in dealing with the anxieties of show business. It is top to bottom an instant classic episode of Drinking During Business Hours, with a top-notch comedian, so pour a drink, and bottoms up! Cheers!

On this episode, Sarah and Rich share a glass while chatting about how damn expensive attending an out-of-state wedding can be, while grabbing some stamps and shipping out the save-the-dates for their own wedding. Also, get your detective hats on, because Sarah and Rich also investigate how two versions of the exact same set can elicit two very different crowd reactions! Cheers! Today's Beverage: AUM Cellars ***Email drinkingduringbusinesshours@gmail.com for a chance to win tickets to see Bottle Shock Comedy on 11/12 at the Hollywood Improv.***

Sarah and Rich welcome comedian/writer/actor/producer Wayne Federman to the cellar for a deep conversation about everything from the science of decanting to Stella Adler, and the beauty of a post-show Taco Bell run! Also, our producer counted, and in addition to some great stories from his long career in comedy working alongside the likes of Garry Shandling and Larry David, Wayne delivers about 5.5 jokes per minute in this episode. So, grab your beverage of choice and enjoy this hilarious episode with one of the very best in the business! Cheers!

On this episode, Sarah and Rich are joined by writer/comedian Gabe Abelson for some late-night TV tales. Dive deep into the art of joke writing, mentalism, and the fascinating story about when Gabe first met David Letterman before becoming head monologue writer on the Late Show. Also, prepare yourself, because Gabe goes all out when he and Rich play some quick mentalism games using IMDb. Cheers!

Sarah and Rich are back in the cellar to get into it with writer/actress/comedian Fatima Taliah! Fatima shares the details behind how she went from modeling and doing YouTube sketches, to diving headfirst into comedy in Hollywood, stories from her recent trip to France and a ton of much need optimism. So, let the Merlot flow and enjoy another fabulous edition of Drinking During Business Hours! Cheers!

On this week's "best of" episode of Drinking During Business hours, we revisit Sarah's conversation from fall 2017 with Comedian/Actor Erica Rhodes. Erica is known for her work on Prairie Home Companion, VEEP, Modern Family, and so much more. During this chat, she discusses the process of joke writing and putting together her variety show, The NightLight Comedy Show, all while sharing a lovely Chardonnay with Sarah. It is an episode worth revisiting for its deep conversation about life, the complicated relationship between comedians and silence, and the cello. Cheers!

This week, Comedian/Actor Renée Percy joins Sarah and Rich to discuss so much comedy, coaching, and Canada! Renée shares her journey going from a child star on Canada's legendary DeGrassi series, to the restarting her career in the U.S. Also, Sarah, Rich, and Renée dive into the "comedy coach's dilemma," Renée's new comedy album, The Komic Sutra, her upcoming stand-up special, and so much more! Cheers!

Ciao bella! This week, Sarah and Rich welcome Italian wine expert Amy Ezrin to the cellar to sip on (sarcastic gasp) boxed wine! Yes, that's right! Boxed wine! Amy shares her incredible imported 3-liter boxed vino rosso, Sandy Giovese, with Sarah and Rich as they dive into her personal journey into the world of wine imports. In this episode you will also get some insight into how to get started as a wine obsessive, why Italy is so amazing, and even UFOs. Saluti! You can get more from Amy by visiting her website, amyezrin.com.

Sarah and Rich are back in the cellar, feeling good, and sharing some wine with the insanely talented comedian, Brooklyn Jones! Find out how Brooklyn became friends with one of TV's most iconic detectives, how she overcame losing her NYC home to a fire, and switching her career focus from rapper to comedian. So pour yourself something tasty and enjoy this conversation with one of comedy's most electrifying personalities!

On this episode, Sarah and Rich are sans guest but full of stories and updates! Hear about their trip to a farm wedding in exotic Michigan, what possessed them to rescue two kittens, and whether or not they will dabble in the new Threads platform. Also, get some excellent TV recommendations, a story about the world's worst wine bar manager, and so much more! Cheers!