Unveiling Washington State’s Comedy Scene: Monica Nevi’s Story, Upper Left Comedy Festival

Monica Nevi: A Homegrown Comic Talent

We are going to ask Monica Nevi to share her story after all she is a storyteller. Monica takes us on a delightful ride through her journey from being a former athlete and college student to discovering her true passion for stand-up comedy. Born and raised in Renton, Washington, Monica’s connection to the Pacific Northwest runs deep, and her comedic wit reflects the unique charm and humor of her home state.

Comedy: A Surprising Twist of Fate

Monica Nevi’s entrance into the world of comedy was nothing short of serendipitous. After an injury halted her basketball career, Monica found solace and new purpose in the world of stand-up comedy. With humility and candor, she shares her early fears and triumphs, including her debut at Laughs in Kirkland, where she overcame her shyness and skillfully engaged the audience, laying the foundation for what would become a remarkable comedic journey.

Embracing Change and Staying True to Herself

Monica shares insight into her creative process, from writing and refining jokes to seamlessly integrating new material into her performances. Her unwavering commitment to her art, complemented by her refreshing honesty, gives us a glimpse into the inner workings of a dedicated and accomplished comedian. Balancing a busy work life with treasured moments outdoors and quality time with loved ones, Monica’s dedication to her craft is truly inspiring.

Monica Nevi Episode Transcript

Hello, friends, and welcome to the Exploring Washington State Podcast. My name is Scott Cowan, and I’m the host of the show. Each episode, I have a conversation with an interesting guest who is living in or from Washington State. These are casual conversations with real and interesting people. I think you’re gonna like the show. So let’s jump right in with today’s guest. I’m sitting down today with Monica Nevi. Monica is a comedian that’s gonna be performing at the Upper Left Comedy Festival, which is in Seattle of all play.

Scott Cowan:

And and you get everyone that listens to the show knows how much I love Seattle. No. I’m just kidding. April 25th to 27th of 2024. If you’re listening to this afterwards, well, you missed the festival, but let’s listen to what Monica has to say. So Monica, thanks for sitting down with me today.

Monica Nevi:

Thank you for having me.

Scott Cowan:

So you make your living traveling around the country, but before you started being a comedian, tell us about young Monica.

Monica Nevi:

Young Monica.

Scott Cowan:

Well, not that you’re old. I don’t know. It’s got that sorry.

Monica Nevi:

You’re dark on this camera for a reason. I, I grew up in Washington, Washingtonian for sure. From Renton, originally. Proud of it. I was an athlete. Played basketball all over through college, and I got hurt. And then I had been writing jokes. I loved stand up.

Monica Nevi:

My family’s very funny. They always Wenatchee always watch a lot of comedies. My Grandparents would show me, like, Marx Brothers and NBC Fields and stuff like that. So, I always loved comedy and loved stand up. And so, in college, I had gotten hurt,

Scott Cowan:

and

Monica Nevi:

decided that was a perfect time to do the other thing that people love for women to do and be stand up comedy.

Scott Cowan:

What was the, what was the injury?

Monica Nevi:

I broke my ankle, and then I played on. We didn’t know it was broke. So that added a lot of complications to it. I so I graduated my freshman year at Seattle University and then played my sophomore year, but it was just more of a significant injury than you knew and gave me a lot of problems. So didn’t play my junior and senior year, stayed with the team, my degrees in sports and exercise science. But in the middle, in January of my junior year in college is when I did my very first open mic.

Scott Cowan:

Okay. Okay. And where was that at?

Monica Nevi:

It’s at Laff’s in Kirkland which is now in Seattle, but which I’m sure as you go, you know, everything changes when you’re like I started at this place and I’m like that’s not a place anymore but, lapses still still a place at least but just in new district now.

Scott Cowan:

Okay. And when we talked on the phone earlier, I you I asked you a question, which I’ll repeat here Cowan I was really surprised it’s gotta be, gotta be rough. And you told me, you told me it went really well. So let’s walk through that. I mean, walk me through as a terrified person who can’t speak to a room of people. I can talk to you like this all day long, but put me with live people and like 3 people in a room and I’m very quiet. What was it

Monica Nevi:

like? You know, now on paper none of it makes sense because I too am actually pretty shy. I in school when I had to do, you know, reports or anything, I dreaded it. I have I still have a pretty hard time being serious in front of a lot of people. I’ve had to do a couple of, like, you know, panels or I I did documentary series and I did a premiere for it and was like sincerely talking about the project and like felt so uncomfortable because no one was laughing and I’m like, oh my god I’m not supposed to. But, so that was always how I felt was like I didn’t really like talking in front of people. And then so I was over analyzing how to do this. I was googling for probably 2 years. How do you start stand up? How do you do stand up? What do you do? And they’re like, go to an open mic.

Monica Nevi:

This is what you do. You sign up. You know, all this stuff. And so I actually went and watched an open mic at LAX just to see and I didn’t know this and now I know but there’s something called Resolution Comics which is people who make it their new year’s resolution to start stand up so that a lot of new people do it in January because that’s

Scott Cowan:

just like like going to the gym.

Monica Nevi:

Yeah, exactly. The gym and the oven mics are busier. Busier. If you want to continue drinking as heavily as you are, you Cowan do stand up instead of go to the gym. But I so there’s also like a really good audience during that time because you’re supposed to bring audience members when you do your first few open mics. So it’s like a great full room, which is not how open mics normally are. So the first one I do is in January. I’ve also been you know, when I googled it says have 3 to 5 minutes of jokes ready and so I had had that pretty much set what I was going to do for a year.

Monica Nevi:

I mean I was, you know, practicing

Scott Cowan:

in the

Monica Nevi:

shower, doing it in the mirror. I was, you know, this is like so I really like thought about it for probably way too long. Now knowing what an open mic is and what’s the name of this, I probably put way too much on it. But I was just really ready for it and it was a really good audience. I think that’s why.

Scott Cowan:

Do you do you remember the first joke you told?

Monica Nevi:

I don’t think I remember.

Scott Cowan:

Is it because you it was traumatic and you blocked it out or?

Monica Nevi:

There’s a lot of stuff in the first couple years where you’re like I would never see it. And you’re a little bit embarrassed but I don’t I don’t really remember them. I have I so there’s one joke that I did on the first of mic I ever did that is actually on my first album. So I kept

Scott Cowan:

Okay.

Monica Nevi:

Doing it, you know, like it was a good enough joke. And I think that’s why, you know, you got a good closer. It’s only 3 minutes. That’s probably part of it. But a lot I had a joke about the flashing lights on bicycles.

Scott Cowan:

Okay.

Monica Nevi:

You know, like, bicycle syringes that would be flashing, and, it was something like, you know, it would keep you safe if everyone coming the other way is having a seizure. Just like I had a bit that I’ve had, like, dark stuff that I don’t really talk about now that I was doing in the first, like, year. Because when you first start stand up, you’re like, oh, I should be nobody’s talking about this, which everyone is. What are you talking about?

Scott Cowan:

Okay.

Monica Nevi:

So I had a few of those that I’m, like, just would cringe now. Maybe not in the first open mic, but in the 1st year at least where you’re like, oh, don’t say that after you. So

Scott Cowan:

you you did your first open Cowan, and you were well, let’s walk through so for the for people who are listening that may may wanna make a resolution to be a standup comedian next year for 2025. Give me an example of something that all new potential comics need to know? Like what’s, is there a maybe not a secret? Cause you guys want to keep those closely guarded. I’m not asking you to be a magician and reveal your, you know, reveal how you cut the, the lady in half type thing, but what’s what’s a good tip that an aspiring comic should know that they probably can’t Google?

Monica Nevi:

Well, I think from a technique standpoint, move the mic stand out of your face. People are distracted by something else going on stage, so they won’t really listen to you. The other thing is, comedy is seen as kind of like, oh, this is fun. I can drink while I’m doing it. And also, if you want, like, people who are running the open mic or other comics or anything, like, be professional, you know, treat people nice. Relationships are still very important. And I know a ton of people who’ve gotten a lot of opportunities that they did not deserve because they’re just nice to people or, you know, they show up or whatever. You don’t even really have to be that talented to do some stuff and stand up.

Monica Nevi:

So, yeah, be treat people nicely and professionally. And, you know, that’s the thing. You can drink. So don’t get too drunk and go on stage. It never goes well. Don’t start too

Scott Cowan:

good. Yeah. Probably probably not not not that’s probably real solid advice. Well, I’m really nervous. Yeah. Don’t. Yeah. Just deal with it.

Scott Cowan:

Okay. And so how many years have you been a full time comedian?

Monica Nevi:

Full time has been 9 years, I think.

Scott Cowan:

K.

Monica Nevi:

And then I started 13 years ago.

Scott Cowan:

K. So it took you about 4 years of I’ll call it apprenticeship. How’s that?

Monica Nevi:

Sure.

Scott Cowan:

Working another job, making ends meet elsewhere, you know, doing comedy shows as you could, etcetera, etcetera. Okay. So you’ve been a full time professional comedian for 9 years. Where’s the coolest comedy club that you’ve ever played in? You know, because we’re Washington state. We’re going to have to ask you that very specifically. What’s the coolest club you ever played in Washington state?

Monica Nevi:

In Washington state. Okay. The coolest tennis club I’ve ever played in Washington state. This is hard now. I feel like I’m choosing. I’m gonna start a turf war. No. No.

Monica Nevi:

We I’m gonna give you an answer second.

Scott Cowan:

I’ll I’ll, you know, I’ll spoil that but I’ll give you an out in a second.

Monica Nevi:

I’ll say the club that I think was perfect, okay, set up so great for comedy. It has the dark basement, brick walls, low ceiling, feels a little dirty but you’re also like this is so fun and it’s because of the setup of the room. It could be 30 people and sounding really good, or it could be 150 and be electric. But either way, you’re starting to have a fun show. And it was the Comedy Underground that was in Pioneer Square, under a bar called Swanee’s. And it was there for, like, 35 years and then didn’t make it through the pandemic.

Scott Cowan:

Pandemic. So as a performer, that’s kind of the thing you’re looking for is a room that if it’s not crowded, it’s still good energy. If it’s crowded, it’s, like, you use the word electric.

Monica Nevi:

Yeah.

Scott Cowan:

Okay. So kind of my analogy is kinda similar to bands. They you know, you you wanna, you know, if you’re on stage with 30 people in a room that holds 500, that could be a great show, but it wasn’t fun because

Monica Nevi:

there was a lot of drama. Women’s are, like, high ceilings, the the laughter kind of goes up, you know, you don’t hear it as well. Different thing. Yeah. A bigger room that isn’t as full, you feel it a lot more than the because that room fit I think 150 people which is a good amount. Most pubs fit between 250 and like 600. But Wow. So if you have 50 people in a 250, then that feels way different than 50 people in a 150.

Scott Cowan:

Right. Where’s your favorite venue that you’ve played so far anywhere? As for you as a performer, like like you’re like, this is a really cool space for me.

Monica Nevi:

Yeah. I it’s just hard to see because I do have fun, you know, a lot of places. Sure. But I think that and I think a lot of comics would agree with me on this, there’s a club in Denver called, Comedy Works, and it is just perfect. It’s like they, like, their building is great for it. Another, like, basement. It’s not even brick, of course, because it’s Colorado, so it’s like stone. And then they’ve, like, trained these audiences to, you know, they’re just great comedy audiences.

Monica Nevi:

They laugh really loud. I mean, to the point where, like, you’re ready. You’re, like, okay, here’s my whatever 45 minute set and you only get to a half an hour of it because they’re laughing

Scott Cowan:

Monica Nevi:

so hard

and so long. I mean, you have to really plan around how good they are but it’s it has a lot to do with the staff and how they run it and all that stuff, but it’s really just, I mean, it’s incredible to work out.

Scott Cowan:

And is there a venue that you wanna play that you haven’t played? There’s a lot of

Monica Nevi:

them, but, I Oh, okay. I’ve done stuff If

Scott Cowan:

I could grant you one wish Yeah. And say you can be the headliner here, where would that be?

Monica Nevi:

Like, you’re

Scott Cowan:

not I wasn’t planning

Monica Nevi:

to stretch so

Scott Cowan:

you could be unprepared. It’s all good.

Monica Nevi:

I’m not this isn’t a great I haven’t been since Colorado, so but I’ve seen performances at Red Rocks in Colorado and I always thought, like, that would be so cool even though as far as it being, like, set up for comedy is not the best, But it’s such a cool space.

Scott Cowan:

It it

Monica Nevi:

would be so cool to to be there and have it be like full. I didn’t know.

Scott Cowan:

Do they do comedy at Red Rocks?

Monica Nevi:

They do so. Yeah. They do sometimes. There’s like a summer series where they like do comedy and then movie or something and then some people I think, you know, bigger people will do it sometime. I do think it’s just because it’s like such a cool place to perform. I don’t think it’s like set up the best or anything, but everybody’s like, yeah, I want to do

Scott Cowan:

you want to draw

Monica Nevi:

a full crowd in the mountains that are red and beautiful in this natural amphitheater or whatever. So

Scott Cowan:

Yeah.

Monica Nevi:

Yeah.

Scott Cowan:

Okay. Alright. We’ll go back to your pre pro days when you were a starving amateur. How’s that?

Monica Nevi:

Yeah. I

Scott Cowan:

will never

Monica Nevi:

forget that. How did

Scott Cowan:

the family take it?

Monica Nevi:

My Cowan, you know my parents were really supportive in not like, oh my gosh, this is the best idea you’ve ever had. This is gonna go great, you know. But definitely, like, we support you on whatever you do. You know, they were basketball parents before then so they were used to traveling and watching me play everywhere and really good. They were always I don’t think my mom missed a game ever. Wow. And maybe my dad only a couple. I mean it was they’re really there and they they’re basketball experts still because you know they they’re still fans and so they treated probably kind of similarly when I first started.

Monica Nevi:

Like my mom would come to open mics and stuff or she’d like she’d text me and be like, oh I just you know I have to work tomorrow so I can’t make it to your show and I’m like this is not a good show. You don’t need to be at every you know I’m not playing a different team. It’s, you know, so they were they were good about, but they were very adamant that I needed to finish my degree and, you know, when I chose to quit my day job, they were but I think they, you know, they never tried to, like, talk me out of it or anything. So I don’t know if they were, like it’s not excitement or anything. I just think they were, like, we support you whatever you choose, which is not often a story with stand up comics. So I got pretty lucky there and now they’re like so they’re very proud of me and so into it and they, you know, when I’m filming a special they come and, yeah, it’s, I got very lucky in that regard, I think, as far as

Scott Cowan:

Okay.

Monica Nevi:

But, yeah, then I do have a degree, so I did look at it.

Scott Cowan:

She got a degree. Alright. And I could joke that you what you do for a living has nothing to do with your degree. Yeah.

Monica Nevi:

It doesn’t. But, well, I I use my degree to answer my family’s questions about their injuries. So

Scott Cowan:

Okay. Okay. Yeah. And that’s

Monica Nevi:

how you I will say I wanna mention very quickly that the one person who I think is most interested in my career that at first was probably worried, but he just is just astonished, I think, about the traveling and being alone and the the, you know, your tortured artist It’s my grandfather. He’s, like, he has this whole thing about, like, he did whatever he was supposed to do. You know? He was

Scott Cowan:

he was

Monica Nevi:

a good athlete and they were like, do you want to play college football? And he said, sure, you know. And then that college was like, oh this is really good for teaching. Do you want to be a teacher? And he was like, sure. You know? And then he goes on to get his doctorate and stuff and he was an educator and then, you know, and American dream. They got married, knew each other in high Scott, you know, high school sweethearts, 2 kids, good job, whatever. And now he’s like so interested in not doing that. Like, he’s like wants to know what I’m doing, where I’m at. He thinks they’re real risks that I’ve taken but he likes that, you know, like he’s and he’s the smartest person I know.

Monica Nevi:

I mean he’s over analytical to a to a flaw, but just very smart and so he’s so interested. Like he wants to learn more about it and see it and stuff and it does keep it in perspective for me sometimes that like yeah, it is a weird thing to do and it’s different and it’s not like most jobs and my life is different and that can be really cool.

Scott Cowan:

Right. Well, that’s that’s awesome, though, because, you know, it sounds like he went the the the kind of the path that a lot of people are are my parents’ generation, grandparents, you know, they you know, I I remember the advice my grandfather gave me was to get a union job, save 10% of my pay, and retire when I was 55.

Monica Nevi:

Yeah.

Scott Cowan:

And that worked for him, but it doesn’t work in today’s world. No. And so he always struggled when I was self employed. Just he just couldn’t, like, just didn’t just didn’t he was it something he never could wrap his head around, so to speak? So he’s always, you know, really kinda like, you should get a job.

Monica Nevi:

That makes sense. It’s hard you’re like, you’re having a job. It’s harder to when people don’t know, like, the quantitative parts of doing self employment because it does vary. So I think, you know, if you go, oh, I’m a teacher, you go, yeah, they normally make between this much and this much and that’s, you know, whatever. For me, I mean my parents have asked me specifically numbers.

Scott Cowan:

How much do you make?

Monica Nevi:

Yeah, because they want to know Cowan I feel comfortable or Scott, you know?

Scott Cowan:

So do you do you tell them that you out earn Jerry Seinfeld? Because I just put you say I have more wealth than Jerry.

Monica Nevi:

They’re making great money. This is a fantastic industry to get into. That’s what I thought.

Scott Cowan:

I’m sure. I’m sure that, you know, there’s, there’s comedians just like any, any like musicians and artists, you know, there’s people like, like Jerry Seinfeld who have amassed great wealth. And then there’s comedians who are very funny and who are one bad gig away from bankruptcy. And it, you know, and that’s, that’s just the nature of being creative, I think, too.

Monica Nevi:

Absolutely. You know? That’s a good point. It’s an interesting like, there are a lot artists, there used to be a lot of, like, paying your dues and going through, Like comedians and I’m sure musicians and other type of artists do this too, but you’re like, oh I’m supposed to like suffer in the beginning of this. And I kind of still believe that you should a little bit but because that’s when you’re funny. But there’s parts like I couldn’t with the life I have now, I couldn’t choose to start doing stand up now. It was I was in a place where it was like I wasn’t tied to anything. When I quit my job, I I went on the road for 3 months without living anywhere. I mean, it was and we weren’t making very much at all when I lived in Los Angeles.

Monica Nevi:

My budgeting was so much less than it is now. There’s just no way I could do it now. And so that part of it is like being in the place to be able to do the suffering. And then Well, you’re

Scott Cowan:

in Tacoma, so you can you can suffer in Tacoma.

Monica Nevi:

Moved here. Tortured artist. I can do that.

Scott Cowan:

Tortured artist.

Monica Nevi:

Well, so

Scott Cowan:

let’s I’m gonna ask you some specific questions about 2023 because that was the last full year. As we record this, it’s April of 2024. So in 2023, how many gigs did you perform?

Monica Nevi:

No. I used to, like, count enough at the end of the year.

Scott Cowan:

And then how many how many how many nights were you on the road?

Monica Nevi:

Yeah. So Ish. Last year was pretty consistent we working. Sometimes I’ll take, I’ve never taken a break, but I will, like, do more, like, every other week. I don’t kind of. Or I’ll take, you know, but I we we had an expensive year. We got married the year before which was, you know, we paid for a lot of it ourselves and then we had some, like, family emergency type stuff that, you know, you you don’t plan for but you have to pay for it. So we did.

Monica Nevi:

But that for me, and you know this, just means you have to work more. I mean, that’s all it comes down to. And so it was pretty busy, and I filmed a special at the end of November last year. And so I was doing, like, open lights and stuff, so I was probably performing more than I would have maybe been here before. But on average, I perform, well, let’s say 5 shows a week.

Scott Cowan:

Okay.

Monica Nevi:

Potentially, 3 to 5 nights a week. K. And was able to take off maybe 3 weeks, like, 3 weekends. You know?

Scott Cowan:

So you you did somewhere between 202150 shows probably.

Monica Nevi:

That sounds about right. Okay. Okay.

Scott Cowan:

And you didn’t know that there was gonna be something like you’re filling out, like, a job application. How many so how many cities did you perform in? I mean, how you know, ish, once again, you know.

Monica Nevi:

Probably 40.

Scott Cowan:

40 cities? Okay. So you and And is that all just in the US, or did you do Canada or Mexico or anywhere exotic, like, you know?

Monica Nevi:

Everything was in the US the past couple years. I did England in 2018, but that’s the last time I’ve, like, been out, obviously, with those complications for a little bit. Next year, I would like to do, like, a full Canadian tour

Scott Cowan:

Mhmm.

Monica Nevi:

In 2025, So I haven’t legally been allowed to go there in in, like, 10 years. Okay. So I was like, oh, now I’m allowed to go back. Let’s do a little tour. So that’ll be fun. But, but yeah. So England’s kind of the only other place that I’ve done stuff besides the US, but I’ve been everywhere in the US that you would never go on purpose. I mean they’re, you know, whatever little city in between or you got to take 3 flights to get there, whatever.

Scott Cowan:

Well, I mean, if we’re being honest, you grew up in Renton and you live in Tacoma. There’s there’s let’s let’s just

Monica Nevi:

And when I’m on the road, I say I’m from Seattle because no one knows anything about those places. So yeah.

Scott Cowan:

Nobody yeah. If you said Renton, people would look at you like they might know Tacoma just because it’s Seattle, Tacoma, but Yeah. It we don’t really it’s Kent and Renton. Nobody knows what that is.

Monica Nevi:

Yeah. But then I say Seattle, I’m like, oh, we’re in Seattle. I go, actually, you know, like, that’s

Scott Cowan:

Right.

Monica Nevi:

Because if they know enough to be like where in Seattle, they know, you know, a neighborhood or something that I’m like, okay. Yeah. But it was

Scott Cowan:

is that the knee jerk reaction people have anywhere? Like, where are you from? Boston. Oh, what? We’re we’re in Boston. I wouldn’t know a single name.

Monica Nevi:

Yeah. I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t.

Scott Cowan:

I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t.

Scott Cowan:

I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t.

Monica Nevi:

I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t.

Scott Cowan:

I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t.

Monica Nevi:

I wouldn’t. I’d be like, that’s good enough. I don’t know. Like, you know, I don’t know the cities or whatever. Close enough.

Scott Cowan:

K.

Monica Nevi:

Yeah. Alright. From Washington state. I do have to clarify Washington state all the time because people think of DC when you say it. And so it’s like

Scott Cowan:

yeah. So, you know, we run the website Explorer Washington state. At least once a month, I get an email inquiring about something in Washington, DC. That’s like I just

Monica Nevi:

I flew out of DC on Sunday.

Scott Cowan:

It baffles me, though. People go, hey. Can you get us tickets to the Lincoln Memorial?

Monica Nevi:

You don’t wanna see the Wenatchee. That’s it. Yeah.

Scott Cowan:

Come I I can get you hooked up at the Space Deal maybe, but, you know, like anyway, so you’re let’s talk about the Upper Left Festival because you’re performing. And where are where is it being held at in because there’s a couple of clubs in the Seattle area. Correct?

Monica Nevi:

Couple of clubs. It’s interesting. So, you know, not to keep bringing it up, but COVID had an effect on venues and, you know, a lot of things and clubs changed in Seattle, because of that. And so you know the Crocodile? It’s like a really well known or was like a really well known rock club. Mhmm. A lot of some of our more popular bands, you know, performed very early in their careers or whatever. And so during oh, that would be right afterwards, they actually moved the crocodile into a a different building that has now 3 separate stages. And so it has, like, a really big one up top and then kind of a medium size in the middle and then they have this place called the Hereafter which is now pretty much a comedy club.

Monica Nevi:

And it fits like a 100 seats and it’s it’s great. I really like it there. So that’s one of the venues and I’ll be, there on Saturday doing some shows and also my podcast. My podcast is gonna be the first live one we’ve ever done we’re gonna do there in the hereafter. Oh,

Scott Cowan:

very cool.

Monica Nevi:

Yeah. And some other, venues and Belltown seems to be like kind of the place. Here we go. So we got like the Jewel Box Theater at the Rendezvous which is a great little like, 65 seat, theater. The Hereafter, we’ve had the Grotto, which is at the grande de la 2, which is, like, 45 season, which is really fun. This is the thing about a festival. It’s, like, the whole point of it is you can see so much comedy in one, you know, concentrated time. So then you have all these different types of shows and you can go from one that’s you know, buy a pass so that you can go from one to the next and all that stuff.

Monica Nevi:

And it’s really fun for us. It’s like, you know, I get to see people when you’re headlining, you don’t see each other because I’m the headliner on this show. You’re the headliner on that show. We’re not gonna work together as often and so festivals are so fun because you get to see other headliners you don’t get to watch or work with or hang out with. And so it’s kind of like, you know, summer camp for comics where you, you know, you get to do activities during the day, and then you go and do your shows, and then you go watch your friends and hang out. And, I think as a comedy fan, festivals are such a fun time because I think we’re having more not that we’re not always having fun, but we’re having more fun at festivals than we are. So you get to see something you’re probably not gonna get to see if you go and see someone at a theater or an arena or whatever. It’s gonna be a cool, more intimate, experience with the comics you you like.

Monica Nevi:

Yeah. So you click kind of all over Belltown in Seattle?

Scott Cowan:

Yeah. So it’s and there’s a a large number, and we we can’t do justice to I’ll put a link in the show notes for people, but they’re you know, we can’t do justice to all the other comedians and they’re coming from all around the United States. It’s not just it’s not just, you know, not that watching comics are bad, but it’s it’s people that you’re not necessarily gonna always see at an open mic.

Monica Nevi:

Yeah. Just around town. Yeah. Absolutely. Which is the I mean, that’s the most

Scott Cowan:

exciting part about having a festival. So we haven’t we have a

Monica Nevi:

big competition in Seattle, but we don’t have a festival. This is kind of the first version of this that we’ve had in a while and if it’s good and really great comics come and are excited to do it and tell other comics this is great. It’s really good for the scene as far as like getting other attention and other industry and stuff here. And so I’ve been excited about them doing this, the upper left, since they started. And they had me on the first one Wenatchee was 2 years ago so this is the third one I think. And so, you know, I really support it. And being one of the few local comics that is that is full time, it seems that they enjoy having to be a part of it, and so I’m I’m all on board for it to continue, and I think it’s just good for the comedy scene to have a festival like this.

Scott Cowan:

Now you mentioned and, you know, let’s let’s discuss this. So I I’m looking at your bio on the upper left side right now, and I’ve got a couple general comedy questions. But why do you think comedy does so well on albums? Because, like, as a kid growing up, Richard Pryor, George Carlin, Steve Martin, they always put out albums, and they always when they were successful, they were just as big as an album by Led Zeppelin.

Monica Nevi:

Yeah. Okay.

Scott Cowan:

I’m really aging myself here, but okay. Good idea.

Monica Nevi:

Wait a minute. That’s okay.

Scott Cowan:

But but why do you think comedy does well in that format?

Monica Nevi:

That’s really an interesting question. Like, I always feel like when I’m listening to an album, I feel in the group. You know? I don’t like, it’s I don’t know if I feel like that with music, but the idea that you can just put something on and laugh is that’s not always the case with anything else you know. I mean it’s I don’t know. I don’t I mean I’ve always thought it was kind of weird to do albums and people, like now there’s a lot more specials first, but they really nailed it. It’s a good, album first, but they really nailed it. It’s a good yeah. You wanna feel like you’re there.

Scott Cowan:

Well, okay. Back in the seventies, it wasn’t like we had Netflix so we could watch the the the 800 Scott comic specials that Netflix has in any given right. And everybody has a YouTube channel and all that. So if I wanted to see, you know, George Carlin or hear George Carlin, it would that was the that was the easy way. But to me, there’s something like, when I’m watching a Netflix special in certain name of comedian here, I’m trying to think the last one I watched was probably Chappelle, one of Chappelle’s things. Okay. I’m distracted. The dog walks in.

Scott Cowan:

The cat jumps on my lap. My wife says something. You know, I don’t feel like I’m there. But if I’m listening to a comedian with headphones on or in my car, It’s I think it is a more of a, like, like a substitute for being present at the show. Yeah. But what I have to ask you is what in the what’s a comedic guided meditation album? What what come on. What is that?

Monica Nevi:

You know, it’s, that’s a great question. But so I did a meditation album. I was doing meditations on YouTube, like, just with stock footage, which is, like, my favorite thing to do is edit stock footage together. Okay. See calming music, but then it was, like, honestly, they’re still, like, really calming and, like, pretty could be motivational, but they’re, like, dirty and full of jokes. And, Yeah. I I think I describe it on stage as, meditation with the kids, I think. Yeah.

Monica Nevi:

Like, it’s just, you know yeah. It’s dirtier than my stand up, to be honest. But, so the album came about because people liked the and I would do like a monthly meditation and like this is for April, you know. And it was like 2 minutes. So then I had the idea to do an album that each track is like for something different. So it’d be like, you know, one’s for relaxation, one’s for before you’re gonna go to a family gathering. One’s gonna if you had a breakup. One is if you are sick.

Monica Nevi:

You know?

Scott Cowan:

Okay.

Monica Nevi:

So and it’s a 10 track album. I had a composer from Los Angeles that I met while I was there do original music. So it’s like great beautiful music. And, yeah, it’s just kinda which I think, like, I had a lot of people when it first came out reach out and say, like, I have ADHD, and I can never listen to, meditation because I get distracted. But they’re, like, this. I’m, like, waiting to hear what the, like, joke is, and so they was making them pay attention more and I was like that’s great. That was totally unintended. But so that I mean the idea of meditation is that you’re either focused on one thing, you know, and that’s like your breathing or whatever it is and you’re letting everything else kind of go.

Monica Nevi:

So if you’re just listening, maybe the same as when you’re listening to a comedy album. You’re you’re just there with the the thing and hopefully not Uh-huh. Thinking about whatever’s stressing you out or whatever, which maybe is easier to do when I’m gonna say some dirty word or joke or whatever. But it went well. Yeah. That one was number 1 on iTunes too. So

Scott Cowan:

So see what I was wondering is is if this was a byproduct of the Dumb Pitches podcast, if somebody somebody Somebody’s idea and I was

Monica Nevi:

like, oh, I should do that. No. Dumb Pitches came after that. So that’s, okay. Yeah.

Scott Cowan:

So how’d you get inspired to do let’s talk about your podcast for a second. Why and how?

Monica Nevi:

The idea mostly came because during COVID, we focused on one thing and that was YouTube. And so I wanted to do a video a week that was a little bit longer, and I thought this would be a cool way to do that. It wasn’t actually intended to be like an audio podcast, but then, Helium wanted to do it as a podcast. I was like, okay. So, you know, we still send them. We’re gonna transition now into, like, doing seasons instead of like just every week but so the I’ll be doing a live one at the upper left which I’m really excited about and we’ll do 2 episodes because they’re only half an hour long so we’ll we’ll have 2 separate guests and then those will kind of kick off this season in May of about 10 episodes. So, but yeah it was just I I have trouble and you see it in my stand up if you listen. I want us to have fun and not think about how terrible things are and you know whatever you’re stressing about.

Monica Nevi:

I want you to come to my show and go, you know, I forgot what was bothering me today for for the hour and a half I was there or whatever. And so I felt like the podcast similar of like let’s just joke about some things and I think people can be intimidated by successful people and things they’ve done and so I like the idea of being like well tell me the worst idea you’ve had. Tell me what didn’t work, you know, and let’s joke about that or let me I just have so many questions. Sometimes I get really invested. I’m like, maybe we can fix it or maybe this will work, you know. And we’ve had really funny different everything all over the spectrum from, you know, scripts or, you know, comedy ideas or songs so that that’s musicians and stuff So all the way to, like, you know, business ideas and inventions and, personal choices of, like, I shouldn’t have dated that person or whatever. You know, it’s kind of all I I leave it up to them what they want to decide is a bad idea. But I’ve had a really fun time doing it and yeah.

Monica Nevi:

So it started just as maybe like a content thing but.

Scott Cowan:

Right.

Monica Nevi:

I have a good time and then at the end of every year we do what’s called the dummies which is like the the dumb pitchers awards. And so then they can choose categories, you know, for each like, you know, best, bad, personal choice, best, bad, business idea. And so then people vote for and then they’re the dummy. That’s true. That’s awesome. Career, but it it makes me feel fun. It’s a fun you know, sometimes people do, like, a clip show at the end of the year of the podcast. Yeah.

Monica Nevi:

This is kind of a fun way for me to do that.

Scott Cowan:

Do you give, like, a tr, like, is it, like, make it a little statue or something?

Monica Nevi:

You know, I’ve always wanted to do that or, like, do, like, an actual awards ceremony like a live one, you know. We’ll see how this live one goes. Maybe we’ll do it at the end of the year. I have a number like I do that posts and stuff and they can show and so some people get really like, oh, I’m so honored to be, you know, nominated and stuff which is really fun for us. But, but yeah. I just want I want people to have fun with her watching or listening or whatever and I, and I want to have fun. So this is still, I think, really fun and I will get some ideas where I’m like, wow, This is weird, you know, or whatever. So it’s fun.

Scott Cowan:

Where as a as a comedian, where do you get your material from?

Monica Nevi:

I’m very, like, call it observational, but it’s, like, what is going on with me? What’s, you know, I talk about being a parent? Or when I worked at the Boys and Girls Club, I talked about a lot about working with kids or you know traveling, relationships, with parents, my family. I talk about you know I’m not someone who’s like let me read the newspaper and talk about what’s going on in politics or anything else. Not because I don’t think those things can be funny, but those are things that I don’t want to be thinking about right now. So let me, you know.

Scott Cowan:

So you make fun of kids instead?

Monica Nevi:

Mostly kids. Yeah. It’s mostly kids. So it’s really the butt of the joke usually.

Scott Cowan:

Sorry.

Monica Nevi:

No. I don’t I know it changed.

Scott Cowan:

Any parent that’s offended.

Monica Nevi:

Well, I used to say I mean, like, you know, relationship in general for a long time. I’ve talked about being single. I was single for, like, 8 years. So that was my biggest, you know, there wasn’t children around that until I get in time. But, yeah. Cowan me, like, as far as the actual, like, writing process goes, it’s just things come up and I write it down. I don’t sit down. Some people are like, I sit down and I say, I’m gonna write a joke about wires.

Monica Nevi:

That’s what I’m thinking of because I have wires here anyway and they make themselves do it. Every time I’ve done that it’s just not good, you know. Like they’re just the more relaxed I am the more in, you know, like, a flow situation I can be. Sometimes when I’m running, it comes up. A lot of times when I’m driving. And then, you know, right before you fall asleep or, like, in the shower or something like those moments when you’re connected more to your subconscious. I don’t know why my subconscious is thinking of good silly things, but that’s, you know, why not?

Scott Cowan:

Because you because you’ve trained it too.

Monica Nevi:

Yeah. Probably.

Scott Cowan:

Right. I

Monica Nevi:

mean, so that’s actually really interesting because I so I did a special this year in this last year that was a holiday special so it’s all Christmas jokes and, I would start to think about Christmas before I went to sleep which maybe is nice meditation anyways. But so I’d wake up thinking about Christmas. I wrote a lot of jokes during that time of like, okay, I Scott write this down. So, yeah, there probably is a little bit of training training or at least nudging the brain in the right direction.

Scott Cowan:

So you get inspired, your subconscious bubbles something up, you jot it down. Who do you try these out on? Who’s the guinea pig that you kind of float these ideas by? Who do you trust?

Monica Nevi:

I don’t trust many people. No. I, I for the most part, this is a weird thing. This is always a weird thing for me. My favorite artist is Florence and the Machine, and she’s talked about how songs will come fully formed for her. Like, it’s already good. I feel like that with my jokes a little bit where, like, I I could I don’t often change stuff once it’s there, you know, like I’ll do it. So there’s not some comics are like I don’t tell anybody and then I get on stage and work it out at an open mic, you know.

Monica Nevi:

Like that’s how it goes. I’m pretty confident when I’ve already written a joke, but if I am gonna is this my wife has to hear so much stuff. I’m sure she doesn’t want to hear it. She’s like and sometimes she like really laughs and I’m like okay I know this because she’s actually really picky and then sometimes she’s like I’m I don’t get it or I’m not sure and I’m like okay you’re gonna have to see it on stage. I’ve had that happen with her before where I was like I just told you this one a couple days ago, but then we’re at the show and she’s like dying. I’m like, why didn’t you get that? I was like, I knew I was right. I knew there was something there. But, yeah, she’s the only person that really really hears it.

Monica Nevi:

I know a lot of comics will, like, talk to each other and go they do, like, writing sessions and bounce off each other and, that’s worked for me a few times, but I’m not Okay. As consistent.

Scott Cowan:

But your your your stuff kinda comes fully fully formed, then you take it to an open mic and see how the the audience reacts, make make an adjustment if necessary, you know?

Monica Nevi:

Yeah. And then you can, you know, for me because I don’t do a ton of open mics anymore and that’s mostly just a travel, like, I’m actually working most of the time. So sometimes I’ll fit them in in the middle of stuff that’s already good or already exists, you know, depending on the show or where I am. Just to see. And that’s the thing, when I write something new, I’m thinking like, where does this fit in my act right now? You know, where does it connect without tripping everything

Scott Cowan:

up. Earlier on, I asked you what maybe the first joke you you told, and you kind of, you know, conveniently blank that out, repress the memory. And then you’ve said through the years, you know, you some of your older, more I don’t know what older older material, we’ll just call it that, isn’t in the routines today. How long does a routine last for? I mean, how how often do you have to are you refreshing it or rebuilding it?

Monica Nevi:

For me, it’s constant. It’s, you know, because that’s what I’m excited about. I think when you’re doing less time, you know, when you first started and you’re doing hosting sets which are like 10 minutes or guest spots 5 minutes or whatever, but I’m doing 45 minutes to an hour most shows. So Scott all of it can be new. I mean that would be kind of crazy if you’re like I, you know, I put out an album now here’s a whole new hour.

Scott Cowan:

Right.

Monica Nevi:

So it’s I’m always adding the new stuff as much as I can and then you kind of rotate out what you don’t want to be doing anymore or what doesn’t fit that audience maybe.

Scott Cowan:

But, okay,

Monica Nevi:

for me, you know, I’m most excited to do the newer stuff and I’m having really fun doing it and so I get excited to do that, and then I go, okay. Here’s one, which I’m still excited about.

Scott Cowan:

But Correct. But it’s yeah. It’s not the new shiny object. Yeah.

Monica Nevi:

I hear my say

Scott Cowan:

Right. I I can imagine your wife kinda feels the same

Monica Nevi:

way. Mhmm. She’s like, oh, she’s back. So I’m gonna go to bed. Which that makes it sound like she’s out of the show. He’s not. But she’s

Scott Cowan:

No. But

Monica Nevi:

yeah.

Scott Cowan:

What? Well, how do I say this? You travel the US, you’re gone. You’re doing 200. Let’s just say you do 200 ish shows a year. You travel a lot. So when you’re not being a comedian, what do you like to do?

Monica Nevi:

That is a great question. I think I’m still kind of learning that.

Scott Cowan:

Cowan.

Monica Nevi:

Now because, you know, I went from identifying as an athlete, which you spend most of your time training or thinking about it or doing something, especially, you know, as a college athlete, they were kind of been telling us what we were doing all the time, to then a comic who didn’t know how to Scott, like, put everything into it. And so just now I’m getting to a point where balance is really important for me, and I need to figure out I think it makes me better with writing and creativity if I’m not, you know, working and thinking about it all the time. So, I have stepson. I’m with my wife, and so we do a lot of, like, I just, you know, hang out with him. We go to the park. We do puzzles. We do, you know, watch movies together, and that has been really good for me to, like, kind of just not be in working mode all the time. And then I’ve, you know, I’m I don’t even wanna call it that I moved back to the northwest because I didn’t live anywhere for the year before I came back up here, but, there’s a real reason I like being in Washington.

Monica Nevi:

I think it’s just beautiful, and I feel calmer here. Los Angeles felt, I kind of felt dirty because it never rained. Right. When I lived in LA It’s cloudy.

Scott Cowan:

Yeah.

Monica Nevi:

If it would rain, I would sit on our balcony and everybody’s like, what are you doing? Why are you just sitting here? I need this. I need to be clean.

Scott Cowan:

What’s wrong with you? Yeah. Okay.

Monica Nevi:

So I’ve actually spent quite a bit of time outside here and not like it doesn’t really matter the time of year. So I try to run outside next to the water here in Tacoma, almost every day And Okay. You know, in the yard, cutting grass or whatever, just trying to be a human being that’s not thinking about what’s on the computer or what’s on, you know, what I need to do next for my career and who I need to email. You know, I I’m still working on. It’s still a very new thing to me to, like, be more intentional about what I’m doing with my time outside of work. But you’re right in that, you know, if I’m doing 200 shows a year and traveling, like, that’s a lot of time not here. So Yeah. With the time that I do have here, I wanna utilize it for the best for me and for my family.

Monica Nevi:

I mean, to be honest, you know, they really like me. They’re kinda obsessed with me. So when I’m gone, it’s pretty tough. So when I am here, I wanna spend my time with them. I wanna actually be here when I’m here.

Scott Cowan:

So I’ve got some Tacoma specific questions for you. Unfortunately, I know you’re gonna disappoint me on the very important question. I know you are, because you already told me.

Monica Nevi:

That’s good. Well, then if there’s no expectation, then I’m not nervous.

Scott Cowan:

Well, no. I still hope that you’re gonna answer it even though you don’t drink coffee. But if you and I were gonna grab a cup of coffee or tea or some other beverage Mhmm. Where’s a great place in Tacoma?

Monica Nevi:

Campfire Coffee is, it’s, they do they, like, smoke see, and I’m not a coffee drinker, but I’ve just worked with them before and there were such 3 people, but it’s, like, they roast the beans with, like, actual wood or something. So it’s cool, but then they have, like, the inside of their coffee shop is, like, like, camping themed. There’s, like, camping chairs and, like, wood tables, like, the, you know, like, the big log table things and stuff. It’s, like, pretty cool, pretty cool place. And then I also so I run at Ruston, which is kind of a new area in Tacoma. It’s right on the water. There’s a coffee shop there called the Jewel Box Cafe that I go to a lot and that’s, it’s really cool. Like, the whole setup inside has, like, kind of woodworking benches and, you know, like, it’s pretty and right by the water.

Monica Nevi:

I like that. Scott campfire or Jewel Box.

Scott Cowan:

Alright. Where’s a great place to grab lunch in Tacoma?

Monica Nevi:

We’re doing lunch. Okay.

Scott Cowan:

We’re gonna do lunch.

Monica Nevi:

K. Because that changes my can’t search maybe. I’m very partial to, like, the water areas.

Scott Cowan:

Mhmm.

Monica Nevi:

But,

Scott Cowan:

there’s

Monica Nevi:

a place called Stack 571. Is it 571? Down by Ruston, which is, like, burgers. Great.

Scott Cowan:

Okay.

Monica Nevi:

Good burgers. I think it’s, like, burgers and whiskey, but, you know, I

Scott Cowan:

got wild fries. Hey. That’s a that’s a that’s a good combo. They have a

Monica Nevi:

lot of whiskey too.

Scott Cowan:

Okay. Solid.

Monica Nevi:

Yeah. But, like, good good quality burgers with a, you know, brioche Cowan and stuff. All that. And, Yeah. That was great. That would be a good lunch.

Scott Cowan:

Go there? I’ve never heard of that one. Now I’ve heard about the coffee shops.

Monica Nevi:

I think it’s like, you know, the smoke stack that used to be down there?

Scott Cowan:

Yeah.

Monica Nevi:

I think that’s what it was, like, named after.

Scott Cowan:

Yeah. I think that’s it’s named after what that stack was.

Monica Nevi:

Back when

Scott Cowan:

it was the smelter and all that.

Monica Nevi:

Yeah. Exactly. Yeah.

Scott Cowan:

Okay. What do you miss about Renton?

Monica Nevi:

There’s a bowling alley. I know, I I mean, I do actually miss bowling alley. It’s now like a groupie. I meant there’s just something, and I’m sure people have this feeling about where it came from, but, like, I’m still really close with a lot of people I want eyes for.

Scott Cowan:

Okay.

Monica Nevi:

Because I feel like nobody else gets what you went, you know, went through. Sounds dramatic, but, you know, I mean the way that you’re the way that it was being growing up in Hinton. Nobody and now nobody knows either because it’s changed so much. I mean Renton is a completely different place than when I grew up. And so, I think probably I miss the people who were there, who were, you know, who knew that, you would go to Hillcrest Hole and everybody’s gonna be smoking inside even though there’s like a smoking section versus not. I got your. And, you know, it was just kind of a rough rough in, like, a dirty way, not in, like, a scary way, if that makes sense. But, like, Denton was just, you know, it’s just different than it is now.

Monica Nevi:

There was no landing. There was no top left close. There’s no No. Okay.

Scott Cowan:

So you’re talking about you’re talking about Ruston, like, it’s this new thing. And I, I remember it, you know, belching smoke into the sky and that the dirt was polluted and there’s arsenic in the ground and it was a dirty, nasty, horrible stretch of of the city with an amazing view because it, you know, Kootenstrom Bay all about it’s jaw dropping, but it was just you didn’t go down there because it was I mean, you walk outside and you come in and you’re like covered in arsenic Cowan, you know, your skin starts to bubble up. And, it was, it was horrible there. And now it’s they’ve invested 1,000,000 and 1,000,000

Monica Nevi:

Oh, yeah. It’s such a of dollars. Beautifully landscaped boomer area that I run out every day. It’s definitely not what it is.

Scott Cowan:

It’s not it’s not what it was. Just like the landing in Renton isn’t what Renton was. Yeah.

Monica Nevi:

That’s where I learned to drive because it was just an empty Boeing parking lot.

Scott Cowan:

Okay.

Monica Nevi:

Yeah. So I think maybe a couple years younger than me and then older, that’s where you learn to draw.

Scott Cowan:

Got it. Okay. As we wrap this up, I want you to tell the audience where they can find your material. Where do you like people to consume your content?

Monica Nevi:

Yeah. Well, most things you Cowan find on, like, on my podcast and stuff is wherever you listen to podcasts. Wherever you listen to this, you can find dumb pitches. I have 2 specials, and both of them are on YouTube. If you go to my YouTube, which is just youtube.com/monicanegi, I do have links both of them on there. 1 is a holiday special if you’re feeling like you need to get in the spirit. The other one is called Big Snapchat Energy, and I did it with Helium Comedy Studios, but it’s on there for free. But if you wanna, you know, if you wanna come see me live, if you wanna come see me at the Upper Left Fest or anything else in Washington.

Monica Nevi:

You know, I work in Washington quite a bit because I live here. It’s easier to get places. All my social media is just my name, so Monica Neddy at Monica Neddy on Instagram. And then my website is Monica Neddy comedy.com, and it has my tour dates and links to tickets and all that stuff on me.

Scott Cowan:

And we’ll put we’ll put those in the notes. Okay. What didn’t I ask you that I should have? That’s the generic get out of jail for me. Like, what

Monica Nevi:

did I what

Scott Cowan:

did I forget cover for me?

Monica Nevi:

Yeah. Because then if I forget, it’s my fault. Yeah.

Scott Cowan:

Yeah. Okay.

Monica Nevi:

I don’t know. I feel like we did pretty good with the fest and everything too. So Okay. Yeah. But happy to happy to have people come see me. So

Scott Cowan:

Yeah. Well, we we’ll we’ll make sure that we we spread the word for you. So last question. You ready? This is the one I warned you about. You have to answer this question, and it’s one or the other, and you have to give your reason why. Okay. Okay? Cake or pie?

Monica Nevi:

Cake or pie?

Scott Cowan:

Cake or pie and why?

Monica Nevi:

Pie, for many reasons, honestly. I’m not a cake person. I prefer I’m not really a sweets person, and I feel like pie gives me a little bit well, first of all, I do a savory pie, But, I love the crust. I like a good Okay. I like a good crust, and then, you know, maybe I feel a little bit more healthy eating the pie because it hopefully has some extra hopefully has to make some fresh fruit or something.

Scott Cowan:

If you could only have one type of pie forever, what would it be?

Monica Nevi:

Oh, my grandmother has always made up banana cream pie with, like, a jello pudding, which sounds, maybe simple, but I just I think there’s a connection to it too, probably.

Scott Cowan:

Okay. Kinda nostalgic for you.

Monica Nevi:

But yeah. But I think also delicious banana cream.

Scott Cowan:

Alright. Banana cream. Alright. Actually, I lied. I do have another question for you. Kind of ties No.

Monica Nevi:

I don’t.

Scott Cowan:

It it kind of it no. It it’s about sports. It ties into your collegiate we’re just bouncing around. Yeah. Collegiate athlete, you’ve been on SportsCenter. The WNBA draft happened last night.

Monica Nevi:

Okay.

Scott Cowan:

I’m drawing a blank on her name that was the number one pick. Please help me.

Monica Nevi:

You’re right back.

Scott Cowan:

Is she the best college basketball player ever?

Monica Nevi:

Oh, maybe. I don’t I mean, the I’m a big, I think you need to win to be considered best. Does that mean whoever’s won the most is the best? I don’t know. Is Brianna Stewart the best because she won 4? Maybe. I don’t know. However, I think she took a team that probably shouldn’t have been there and made them very good. So that was, you know, would be harder for any really great player to do. I also really consider what’s going to happen next has a lot to do with her legacy.

Monica Nevi:

So she was a great college basketball player, got a lot of attention the last 2 years. Yeah. I think continuing to be a great player in on different teams will kind of give us a better understanding of who she is overall as a player. Like, you know, I think she was having to do a lot on that team on Cowan and it gave her the opportunity to score a lot or to, you know, have to really carry a lot of the load. So I’m very interested to see, like, if she can relax a little bit, what that looks like. How, you know, how great she can be with that or whatever. So, I think I mean definitely up there for sure.

Scott Cowan:

Okay.

Monica Nevi:

Can we definitively say she’s the best college player ever? I don’t know because it depends on how much you put Cowan. I mean when we go to hardware it’s Brianna Stewart. She won 4 championships. She’s player of the year all 4 years. No one’s ever done that. You know and I think you could still make arguments for, I don’t know, Maya Moore, James Parker, somebody you know somebody who’s winning, Asia Wilson, somebody who’s winning a lot and things like that. But she’s definitely up there and I I say that’s what I’m saying. I’m leaving it a little bit open ended so that people will continue

Scott Cowan:

to work. Oh, and that’s completely that’s a completely fair answer. Did you did you see her on Saturday Night Live? Yeah. I I don’t know what I thought of that, to be honest with you.

Monica Nevi:

What did you think of her this whole journey? Were you, like, this is awesome. I’m rooting for her. Were you, like, oh, she’s getting a lot of attention. I wanna root for somebody else. You know? Were you

Scott Cowan:

No. I think what I what I I don’t I didn’t typically, I don’t pay a lot of attention to women’s sports. I mean, if, you know, and you know, but I found myself watching and I don’t watch sports. I don’t I love baseball and I don’t even watch you know, I love the Mariners. I don’t watch the Mariners. I pay attention to them, like, in the highlights. So I spent a lot of time in the women’s season this year paying attention to women’s highlights, especially during the tournament, which is something I didn’t normally do.

Monica Nevi:

Right.

Scott Cowan:

I think she’s great for the sport. I think it’s gave if I’m paying attention to it, that means other people are too that weren’t paying attention to it before. I think that is good. I got a little annoyed with her behavior sometimes.

Monica Nevi:

Yeah.

Scott Cowan:

I I kinda, like, want to pat her on the head and say, shut up. Yeah. I I just kinda there was something about her demeanor on the court that I just

Monica Nevi:

Well, and I’ll say, like, this has never happened before from a media standpoint. So, like, this is so much attention that no other player has ever gotten.

Scott Cowan:

Right. You

Monica Nevi:

know, or players. This whole draft class is kind of crazy. So I don’t no one’s ever had to really deal with that. So of course you deal with the good thing. I, was annoyed by it by the end of it because I am a basketball fan. I I played basketball. I love it. I love watching the NBA.

Monica Nevi:

I’m invested. So then to have it really focused on this one person and be like, there’s all these other great players who have been around for a long time you don’t know. I mean, there’s stories. So I was playing South Carolina in the final in the championship. Asia Wilson who has a statue in front of the arena, you know, is like is not that arena, but, you know, in front of their arena is there. She just won the WNBA championship last year and somebody’s like, oh, you’re tall. Do you play basketball? Like, they don’t there’s all these new fans and she’s like, oh, yeah. A little bit.

Monica Nevi:

You know? Like, she’s literally the best player of the WNBA right now. And she’s like, well, I’ve dabbled. So that part is a little bit annoying too where it’s like, you don’t know but I want you here. I want you to be fans. I want you to be invested but you have a lot to really kind of like learn.

Scott Cowan:

And and that’s the way it’s been for every sport as it’s risen in awareness. Absolutely. You know? For example, the Taylor Swift effect on the Kansas City Chiefs. Sure.

Monica Nevi:

Yeah.

Scott Cowan:

Same, same thing. Yeah. Same, same thing.

Monica Nevi:

Absolutely. And they got a lot of new fans too so there’s gonna be a lot of questions and I and I know that this season will be much different in the WNBA. Like we go to swim games all the time and, I’m ready to have a lot of new different people there. Probably going to be there when we play Indiana, you know, because they want

Scott Cowan:

to see

Monica Nevi:

her and that kind of thing and I’m I’m not opposed to it but it doesn’t mean I’m not annoyed by

Scott Cowan:

it. Right, but I do think it’s good for the sport. I do think it’s good to help that league, financially to, continue to provide opportunities to the players. I think it’s good. You know, that was at 14 what was the thing on Saturday Night Live that was 14,400,000 people watched that game in, Iowa and Connecticut? And we, you know, and Michael Chase says, and that’s 14,400,000 then there’s some truth to that, that women’s sports doesn’t get a lot of eyeballs compared to the NFL

Monica Nevi:

Right. Historically. Yeah. Absolutely.

Scott Cowan:

And I think it’s good that there’s more eyeballs, but it doesn’t break my heart that she’s not on the sales storm. How’s that?

Monica Nevi:

Yeah.

Scott Cowan:

I’m not like, like, I’m not like going, oh I wish we would have really sucked

Monica Nevi:

and had a

Scott Cowan:

first round draft pick.

Monica Nevi:

Yeah because I know a lot about what the storm was doing and stuff and there was no point where I was like, oh, I hope we get hurt.’ I just didn’t feel like that. Like that’s not and not because I don’t like dislike her or anything. I just

Scott Cowan:

I just yeah and

Monica Nevi:

And we’re we’re good. Storm’s gonna be back this year. They got they made some really oh, yeah. They made some really good moves in the off season, and I’m I’m excited.

Scott Cowan:

That’s good. That’s good. See, to me, the storm I I identify Sue Bird with the sales storm. Like, she’s she’s the the Edgar Martinez, the Ken Griffey Junior, you know, Sean Kemp of, you know, of the, she’s the iconic figure of that team to me. Yeah. And like all iconic figures, when they retire, it’s a period of adjustment.

Monica Nevi:

Of course. Yeah. Absolutely. Well, I mean, not even just being a good player, but she was the person in control of that team for 21 seasons. Like, that’s I we never really had 21? Yeah. We never really had a storm team without her, especially one that was successful. So, of course, there’s gonna be a point of adjustment. And last year, we didn’t even really a point guard at all, which is the most important position in basketball.

Monica Nevi:

So now we do, and I think, yeah, I think we’ve made some some good change.

Scott Cowan:

We’ll see. We went way off the rails there. That’s okay. If that’s okay. I know.

Monica Nevi:

And you got

Scott Cowan:

to think

Monica Nevi:

about basketball, and then I can just keep talking. No.

Scott Cowan:

It’s all good. It’s okay. But listen, thank you so much for sitting down with me today. I really think this upper left festival is something that if you’re listening to this in time, go, go check it out. Do you know, putting you on the Scott, are they recording any of the, will this be available on video after the fact? Do you know?

Monica Nevi:

I don’t think so unless it’s, you know, something specific. Like like, my podcast will be, available with video and everything afterwards. I think there’s some other podcasts that they’re doing but I’m not sure if there’s any.

Scott Cowan:

Okay.

Monica Nevi:

Usually you don’t do like a a regular show you would put out unless everybody wanted you to but if it’s like maybe there’s like a crowd work show or something.

Scott Cowan:

Okay. But,

Monica Nevi:

yeah, I think their social media might be helpful.

Scott Cowan:

Alright. Well, there’ll be links there too. But but, anyway, if you’re not listening to this in time to see it, go go check out Monica’s stuff online. Go see her live. Ask her about basketball. Yeah. And it’s all good. So thanks so much.

Monica Nevi:

Yeah. Thank you.