Superstar standup, podcast host, and creator of the critically-acclaimed hit HBO series “Crashing,” Pete Holmes has made his career out of getting knocked down, and getting back up again.
So when the pandemic stopped his last comedy tour, “Silly Silly Fun Boy,” completely in its tracks back in 2020, he welcomed the pause with grace and gratitude.
“There was a Daniel Tosh joke where he was like, ‘I don’t want to die; I want all of us to die,’ when he’s talking about the end of the world,” Holmes told Revue. “And what I took from that joke is I didn’t want to take a break from standup, I wanted all of us to take a break from standup, and that’s what I got.”
Up until then, he had remained ridiculously busy, burning through tour after tour, while hosting his weekly podcast, “You Made It Weird,” and riding high on the success of “Crashing.”
Less than a year before lockdown, Holmes had just published his first book, “Comedy Sex God,” in 2019 – a “part autobiography, part philosophical inquiry, part spiritual quest” – that came less than two months after HBO canceled “Crashing,” following its season three finale.
A mix of highs and lows, like many points in his life, the pandemic allowed Holmes to pause and focus on spending much needed quiet time at home with his family, without feeling like he was losing a step in the comedy game.
When lockdown lifted and things returned to “normal,” Holmes landed the lead in the CBS sitcom, “How We Roll,” based on the real life of Michigan pro-bowler Tom Smallwood, who rose to victory after getting laid off from his job in the automotive industry.
“It was one of my favorite show business experiences just because when I was a kid, being a success, like dreaming about being a comedian, meant you would have a multi-cam sitcom,” Holmes said of working on the show. “And what I learned from the process is I always thought I wanted to do something that was hip, and I did; ‘Crashing’ was hip, but it turns out, I just love being with people, creating something, and it doesn’t have to be super cool to be really fun.”
CBS cancelled “How We Roll” last year after just one season, but Holmes took it in stride. Returning to the road with his new standup show, “Where Were We,” he feels like he’s continuing a conversation with his fans who have stuck with him for decades, or those who are discovering him for the first time.
“I’m 43, I remember what (standup) was like before the Internet,” he said. “But now because it’s possible to find your very specific stamp… it’s easier. You know, there’s podcasting, there’s clips online, and there’s specials, and you don’t have to catch them on HBO at 8 o’clock on some specific Friday. You can watch them whenever you want. And by virtue of the information being so accessible now comedians can get more and more specific, whatever their interests are.”
Self-described as a Christ-leaning “hooraytheist,” Holmes has used his comedy as part of his own spiritual journey. From growing up Evangelical and attending Christian college, to completely questioning his faith following the end of his first marriage, to taking magic mushrooms at Bonnaroo, Holmes finds humor in asking the big questions about reality and the meaning of life.
“My conversation tends to be more spiritual, or more existential, or maybe more metaphysical,” Holmes said, while also acknowledging the strangeness of performing at Fountain Street Church, as part of this year’s LaughFest, March 9.
“What I find spiritual or unitive about doing standup is that a bunch of individuals show up and they become an audience,” he said. “So they merge into one thing and then a good performer – and this is what I try to do – is merge with that merger, and there’s a second merging of the performer and the audience. And I think that’s a spiritual thing. We all came in separate and then we sort of spend time together, and I sometimes joke, it’s so interesting how quickly we become an ‘us.’”
Like he chronicled on “Crashing,” comedy and his fellow comedians have kept Holmes going. When he’s felt lost, or lost an opportunity, laughter has always helped him heal, and keep coming back for more.
“I always get super depressed when I see something in like a World Market, like a wooden sign that says ‘Laugh once a day,’ or something like that,” Holmes said. “And I’m like, ‘That is way too low.’ So it’s a good a reminder, but I think that’s just a good place to start. With the low times in my life, I’ve been carried through by friends, and what that means is by people that have come around and come into my life and reminded me to laugh.”
LaughFest presents Pete Holmes: Where Were We
Fountain Street Church, 24 Fountain St. NE, Grand Rapids
March 9, 7 p.m., $35-40
Laughfest.org, peteholmes.com
