Comedian Don Jamieson usually plays the Improv when he comes to town. But in the wake of his success as co-host of That Metal Show — a VH1 talk show in which he and fellow comedians Jim Florentine and Eddie Trunk interview celebs and pontificate about all things metal — he’ll be performing at Peabody’s on Friday.
“I’m really excited to play at Peabody’s because a million great metal bands have played there over the years,” says the New York-based Jamieson. “The show I’ll be doing is basically a stand-up show. It’ll be myself and two other great comics from Cleveland. We’re going to do a comedy show, but it will have a metal flavor to it. A heavy metal cover band will play us on and off. We’ll see what happens. If we drink enough beer, maybe we’ll get up and sing ‘We’re Not Gonna Take It’ at the end.”
Jamieson’s résumé (his website includes an actual résumé) is littered with significant stuff. He’s opened for Andrew Dice Clay, snagged an Emmy for his work on HBO’s Inside the NFL and delivered a successful Internet-based show, Meet the Creeps. But That Metal Show has really broken him out — at least in places that are most important to him.
“Whenever I bring a chick to a metal show, I sign 50 autographs,” he says. “I take tons of pictures with people. That’s a big aphrodisiac. But we go out to dinner, and nobody says a word. Believe me, the people who recognize me don’t go to the same restaurants. They’re eating at Quiznos.”
Jamieson says he’s been a metal fan since seeing Judas Priest and Iron Maiden in the early ’80s at the Convention Center in Asbury Park as a teen.
This article appears in Apr 29 – May 5, 2009.