HBO
Welcome! You're about to be live, up-close and interactive with Jay Davis, one of the stand-up comics who stars in "Dane Cook's Tourgasm" The chat is about to begin - so start sending your questions now and tune in to the show - now airing on HBO.

JAY
What's up everybody? Thank you guys so much for being a part of "Dane Cook's Tourgasm."

HBO
BlueSuedeShoes: Who were/are your stand-up inspirations? Which classic comics make you laugh?

JAY
I've always loved Robin Williams, Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, and of course Mr. Dane Cook.

HBO
Fraggle: How did you end up doing "Tourgasm"?

JAY
I developed a friendship with Dane Cook about seven years ago when I first started comedy. I created my own comedy night at an Irish pub on the Sunset Strip, and Dane Cook came down one night because he had heard about this hip, cool comedy night. He'd also heard that Dave Chappelle had come down and done the room, so he thought he'd come and check it out and hopefully get on stage. When I met him, that was when his first half hour special had come out but I didn't have cable (I couldn't afford it!) so I had no idea who he was... I told him I couldn't get him on the show, but I'd be glad to get him on the week after. He's like, "Uhhhh... I think you should put me up tonight, I'd be good for the show." Long story short: I put him on the show that night and within 30 seconds I felt I was watching the best comedian I'd ever seen. Then I was like, "I hope he comes back and does the show again!" Sure enough, the next week he came down because he'd had so much fun, and he started doing the show on a weekly basis. The two of us became great friends, and he took me under my wing and started to mentor me and my comedy. After about 6 years, when he had decided to put Tourgasm together, I was the host of Dublin's Irish Pub. I'd learned how to become an incredible host from working there because there were so many people in the room and it was high energy and I learned how to deal with crowds that were drunk and wild. I was trying to grow as a comedian while I hosted. Dane had come to me and said, "I'd really like to take you on Tourgasm to host all the shows and give you a chance to become a better comedian." He felt that Tourgasm would be a great experience for me to grow, not only as a host, but as a better comedian.

HBO
Johnny Utah: Hey Jay Davis, whatever happened to Dublin's on Tuesday night?

JAY
Good question! We were rockin' and rollin' the comedy every Tuesday. There's a rule in the city of West Hollywood that if you have a bar and there is dancing going on in this bar, you must have a dance permit. Dublin's Irish Pub did not have a dance permit, yet they danced every night of the week for years. The city continued to come down and give them fines and kept telling them they couldn't have dancing without a permit, yet the city wouldn't give them a permit even if they wanted one. After 3 years of this, it finally came to a point where the city shut the club down completely. I had no idea this was going to happen. In fact, the very last night of Dublin's, Roseanne Barr graced the stage. I was so excited because my girlfriend at the time took a picture of me that night, so I have a couple of pictures of me onstage at Dublin's on the final night. It was packed for that last night. It was a sad, sad day when all the comedians found out that Dublin's Irish Pub comedy night was no longer. It lasted six years.

HBO
AGrAde: When did you first meet Dane Cook?

JAY
I met him just over six years ago, in 1999, at Dublin's Irish Pub on the Sunset Strip.

HBO
Mullet: Did you know the other guys beforehand?

JAY
Yes. I had worked with both Gary Gulman and Robert Kelly. Gary lived in LA and I had done many club dates with Dane Cook obviously headlining, and Gary Gulman was featuring at the time. I was on the road as the host opener for almost two years. So I really got to know Gary Gulman. Robert Kelly was already headlining on the road on his own, and living in New York City which is on the other side of the country. So Robert and I, before Tourgasm, really never got a chance to get to know each other.

HBO
Wrangle: If you hadn't gone into stand-up, what would you have done to make a living?

JAY
Garbage man. Plumber. Starbucks employee. Male prostitute. Porn star. :-)

HBO
Loravee: Have you ever done any acting on stage or in film? If so, do you find that it helps you with comedy?

JAY
Yes. When I first moved to LA, I actually went to an acting school and I did theater. I've done commercials - a Ford commercial, a Rally's burger commercial, a Mini Cooper commercial. I've also done a Disney after-school special. I love acting, and it does help tremendously with being on stage as a stand-up comic.

HBO
Justin538: What has been your most memorable moment as one quarter of the Tourgasm monster?

JAY
I tell you, my favorite moment was just getting on the bus, knowing I was part of it. When those rock-star buses pulled up and we realized it was a real tour, I jumped for joy! That was the most exciting part - knowing I was going to get on a bus and be a part of "Dane Cook's Tourgasm."

HBO
Superman In Philly: OK, here is a question for Jay. What was the most exciting, surreal moment for you during Tourgasm that made you say, "It was all worth it"?

JAY
Wow. When I walked onstage at Penn State in front of 12,000 screaming fans. As a kid if I went to a basketball game, I'd look up at the Jumbotron and hope they'd put me on it. And now I was actually performing by myself on stage, and I was on all the Jumbotrons - that was very surreal.

HBO
Syringa Vulgaris: Knowing what you do now, if you were organizing your own Tourgasm, what changes would you make?

JAY
Not only would I do the north, I would do another 2 months on the road and cover the whole country - from Hawaii to the south, and maybe even get on an airplane and go to different countries. Just make it longer. And put highlights in my hair. :-)

HBO
Frankie: Hey Jay - so you've made it to HBO, huh? Is that a milestone for you? What's next?

JAY
PBS. Nah, just joking. I tell you, it's unbelievable to be a part of HBO. As a comedian, we all dream of being on HBO. Does anyone have a Kleenex? I'm crying right now. HBO baby!!!! Very excited about it.

HBO
BlueIce2k3: Hi Jay, what is it like touring the country? Are there any places you wanted to stop that you didn't get to? Keep up the great comedy - you guys rock!

JAY
Why thank you so much! I tell you, it's so much fun to be able to travel to different cities and meet new friends and make people laugh. Whenever I'm in a city, I try to walk around and take in as much as I can. Of course, when you go to the bigger cities, it's fun to check out some restaurants and clubs, just get out and about. It's exciting. Exciting seems to be the word of the night for me!

HBO
Mike: Who's funnier - you or Dane?

JAY
(laughing) Let's see - well right now, how do I compare my comedy to Dane Cook? He's a legend and made this all possible. But we can all be funnier at times. There are a lot of minutes in the day, and sometimes Joe Blow might be funnier depending on the moment. When it comes to comedy, I look up to Dane Cook and hope to be as funny as he is on stage. That's what hard work can do. Dane Cook is proof of very hard work, and obviously he is a very funny, funny guy. If I work as hard as he works, then one day I can fill stadiums and make people laugh like he does. He inspires me and my comedy.

HBO
BWT: What positive and negative things did you learn about yourself and the rest of the comedians while on tour?

JAY
Let's start with the positive. I learned how much passion and love each of the guys has for stand-up comedy. I learned how to gain respect from people. I learned how to be honest with my emotions, and I find that very positive. Negative - I think I learned to lighten up a little bit, and just have fun with the guys.

HBO
Kirke13: What advice would you give a starting out comedian who knows this is what he wants to do, but has a family to feed as well?

JAY
Get two jobs! I look at it like this: you have to take care of your family, number one. At the same time, to do comedy, it really takes a lot of hard work, a ton of stage time, so make sure you have a good regular job to feed your family. If you're spending 40 hours a week at that regular job, make sure you're spending 40 hours a week on top of that on comedy. And find time to hug your kids.

HBO
Lynny: Are you really as sensitive as you seem on the show?

JAY
I think all of the guys are sensitive, but yes, I am a sensitive guy. But people need to understand that that first episode was only a half hour. There was around 58 hours of footage edited down to a half hour. So in the 58 hours prior to me crying, there was a buildup that was not shown on the episode because of time constraints. There was a lot of pressure for me, being the youngest comedian. The other guys had 10 years more each in the comedy world than me. Plus having cameras in your face the entire time for the first three days was just overwhelming. With the pressures of performing and making sure everyone was getting along, all the added pressures built up the emotion within me and I finally broke. But I'm proud of myself because I was honest with my feelings, and I think that's important sometimes - just to be honest. People cry. They just happened to catch me on camera. LOL

HBO
Mattymatt: Is Gary really late to everything?

JAY
No, he's not. When you see Episode 3, one of my favorite things is looking at my face while Gary and producer Brian Volk-Weiss argue. Tune into my facial expressions. Absolutely hilarious!

HBO
Allycat77: Did you and Robert resolve your differences?

JAY
Yes we have. Then again, you might want to tune into all the episodes to see how it happens! But I will say this - Robert Kelly and I have become as close as brothers. He has my back, and I have his. In fact, we are touring the country right now doing comedy shows all the way through August, just the two of us, and having a blast. He even tied me up in the green room and forced me to watch "The Red Tape." Robert Kelly is a wonderful person, and I'm a wonderful person, and we just happened to butt heads a few times. That happens in life. But we've grown to respect each other and embrace each other's comedy and push each other forward as a team. Even though in stand-up it's one person on the stage at a time, it takes a team to make it. And I'm on the best team possible. Tourgasm, baby!!!!

HBO
Tourgasmic: Are Dane, Robert and Gary going to be doing something like this chat too?

JAY
I've been told the others are doing chats too. In fact, Gary Gulman will be on next week. Make sure you tell him Jay Davis says hello!

HBO
Rob: Do you feel an added pressure that the other guys might not feel because you're the host, sort of the "opening band"?

JAY
Yes, you do. In the comedy world, they say the hardest spot is the opening spot. They call it "taking the bullet." But I think that what made me such a great opener/host is my energy and my likeability. That's very important when you host a show.

HBO
MVP: I went to the Syracuse University show. What did you like most about those shows and your time in Cuse?

JAY
I actually got my hair cut in Syracuse. The lady did a phenomenal job. It was a great town - I met two new friends there, journalists and photographers, who ended up moving to LA. I told them to follow their dreams, and the next thing they moved to Hollywood and have been coming to my show at the Laugh Factory on Sunset Blvd. which I produce and perform at every Tuesday night. One of the girls has become one of the hottest photographers in the comedy world already. And I met her at Syracuse University! Most of the pictures on myspace, at www.myspace.com/jaydaviscomedy are taken by the girl I met at Syracuse University.

HBO
Superman In Philly: Was there ever a joke they outright said "You cannot say that one"? If so, what was it? LOL

JAY
No, there were no rules with our joke telling on this tour. You do your jokes, and you let the crowd tell you if you should do it again. If they don't react, maybe you should drop it. But the great thing about Tourgasm is the guys support you when you try new jokes. That's how it works in comedy - you go for it, you fall down, you get up, and you go for it again, and you work it until it gets laughs.

HBO
Jay, thanks for spending time with your fans tonight! Any last comments for everyone, before we have to close?

JAY
First off, I think "fans" is an old time word. I consider all of you guys my friends. That's what's great about the internet and myspace, because you guys are no longer fans, you're supporters and friends and we really appreciate it. We appreciate you all watching the show and telling your friends and family to watch the show, and I know that you're all going to enjoy the ride! Don't forget to come and see Robert Kelly and myself coming to a club near you this summer. In fact, next weekend we'll be in Chicago, Thursday/Friday/Saturday at Riddles Comedy Club and the weekend after we'll be in New York City at Caroline's on Broadway. Or you could check my website at www.myspace.com/jaydaviscomedy and see all the upcoming gigs on my calendar. We love you guys! I want to thank all my new friends for tuning in and coming to see us, and we hope to make you laugh real soon. Have a great great week - enjoy the show.

HBO
Thanks for chatting with us. Now that you've learned the real story from Jay about life on a cross-country comedy bus, tune in to see what happens when "Dane Cook's Tourgasm" hits the road next - Sunday, June 25th at 11pm - only on HBO.



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