It’s been 3 days since 11 Dollar Jokes has officially hit the…internet? Thank you so much to everyone that has listened to it, shared it, commented on the Youtube video, and especially those that have donated to me after watching/listening to it. All of your support really means a lot!
One of my favorite things about when a new special, new movie, or new TV show comes out is when someone like Buzzfeed or Crackle writes a fluff piece about it. The “10 random things that don’t matter but you love to read about” kind of articles. Since I’m pretty sure Buzzfeed will not be getting to reviewing my comedy special, I thought I would take initiative and write my own fluff piece about my own album! I have experience writing these kind of articles about Pokemon, Super Smash Brothers, and God…so I feel more then qualified!
If you haven’t seen my new 30 minute special, you should definitely stop reading now and go check it out! If you have, here are 11 Easter Eggs that can be found in 11 Dollar Jokes!
1. The Dollar Bill Album Artwork
For my own amusement, I decided to put significant details in the 11 Dollar Bill Graphic. On the left of the bill you can see the album artwork for my first special, “Revolutionizing Failure.” On the right, in place of the serial number and whatever else is on a bill, I listed the venue, the video recording company, and the date we recorded the special.
2. What’s the deal with Drew and Pizza???
It wasn’t intentional, but I have mentioned pizza now in both my specials. In the first one I had a joke where someone calls me “Taco Bell” and I say, “Hey I’m Italian…It’s Papa Johns to you!” In 11 Dollar Jokes, I spend several minutes sharing my passion for Little Caesars. Now one of my greatest life goals will be to mention pizza in every special I ever do for the rest of my life!
3. Dressed to the Elevens
This one is probably commonly known for anyone interested, but 11 Dollar Jokes is full of references to the number 11. The title 11 Dollar Jokes is based off one of the jokes in the special. The album was released on November 11th, at 11:11 am. There are 11 tracks on 11 Dollar Jokes. Also, for the shows I have coming up where the album is being promoted…tickets cost 11 dollars.
4. Bonus Tracks
Alright, I’ll admit I really only needed NINE tracks for my full special, but at that point I was commited to the number 11. As a fellow comedian Joe Bridges mentioned when I was deciding how to fix this issue, “I was in a real 9/11 dilemma.” So I decided to add a couple of bonus tracks with some content that wasn’t part of the actual filming, but that listeners may enjoy. You can’t hear this on the Youtube video, but they’re available on all the other platforms!
5. Are those LAUGH TRACKS? Gross!
The laugh tracks you hear are not just any old laugh tracks though. They are real laughs from real audiences that i have performed, and each laugh was a segment that came from when I told that joke in a different room. Also, my rule was if a joke didn’t get a laugh in the original footage, I didn’t add a track to it. Is it weird? 100%. Do I love it? Nope, it’s very cringy to be honest!
That being said, it’s kind of cool to think that when you watch or listen to 11 Dollar Jokes audiences from all over the US that I have performed to are present. You are hearing real laughs from Nashville, Huntsville, Birmingham, Greensboro, Washington DC, and many other places. It was like all my crowds came together to help me make this special.
6. 11 Dollar Jokes is Fans and Friends Fundraised!
My first special was recorded at South Street Comedy Club and the money I made from 2 sold out shows, plus a little of my own, was what I used to produce Revolutionizing Failure. 11 Dollar Jokes was filmed at The Well Coffeehouse, which is significantly smaller then South Street Comedy Club, and we only had one show. So the money raised from ticket sales wasn’t nearly as much. So I created a fundraising campaign I am so proud to say that 15% of the production costs were raised by fans and friends who support my career!
I am incredibly grateful and really appreciate those of you who have support me and continue to support me!
7. 11 Dollar Jokes has a Callback to Revolutionizing Failure
In Revolutionizing Failure I have a lot of jokes about working at Publix. In one of my jokes, I talk about learning all the produce codes and I would spout them off at the audience request. It has since been one of my jokes that has been the most recognized.
At the end of 11 Dollar Jokes, I conclude with a joke about when I worked at Publix. At one point I say something like “What I should have said was…pass the cucumbers, I already know their produce code…4062.” It’s absolutely a callback to Revolutionizing Failure, and only 4 people on earth will get that joke. Now you’re one of the four!
8. Take Two!
This was actually the second time I tried to record 11 Dollar Jokes! The first show was recorded in Memphis, TN for a FREE Radio Memphis broadcast and recording. It was honestly a great show! A very small room and many friends came to support the show and we had a blast. I was very pleased with the overall production and thought “Man, this is going to be a great second album!” But…when the final copy came back to me I realized that I had gotten what I paid for. I decided to not publish this version and instead pay the people that did my first album to make my second one…which kind of turned out to be a nightmare too (See Easter Egg #5!)
Honestly, this whole process really stayed true to my “Revolutionizing Failure” brand I am trying to outgrow. If I make a third special, my hope is to get amazing quality with no errors and call it “Third Time’s The Charm.”
9. Why A Coffee Shop?
Maybe a coffee shop is a weird place to film a comedy special, but to me it made sense for where I am at right now. I’ve had tremendously good luck with coffee shops and comedy shows in the past year. Coffee shops really lend themselves to clean comedy. My longest running show that I have been producing (that seems to be the most successful) is at a coffee shop. And honestly, a lot of my bookings have been for family friendly events at coffee shops. Also…in my spare time I LOVE hanging out at coffee shops.
In my current “Season of life” as the Christian ladies with their pumpkin spice lattes may say, recording a special at a coffee shop just seemed like the right move for me. I’m glad I did it at the Well!
10. The Hosts You Hear Weren’t Actually There!
Listen, by now you are aware of the audio terror that was the original 11 Dollar Jokes. The original host of the night was comedian Laura Hibbard, who did great. However in the cut that was given to me, her part like everything else was pretty messed up.
So in weeks to follow on different shows I was brought up by comedians Rayna Cahill from Huntsville and Corey Knox from Nashville (who has since moved to TX). Both did a great intro so when I was looking to fix things up in my album, I used both their voices to bring me up to the stage. You can hear Rayna on the Youtube video, and Corey on all the audio recordings.
11. The Curse of Drew Davis?
This last one really isn’t an “Easter Egg” of the production of 11 Dollar Jokes, but more so a commentary on my luck when it comes to making specials…and how I may be cursed. In 2019 I recorded my first album at South Street Comedy Club in Jackson, TN and two weeks later the comedy club went out of business. Flashforward to 2023, when I am set to record my special at The Well Coffeehouse. A few weeks prior to recording, they send me a message and say my show will be the last comedy show they are doing at the Well.
Two specials, and just as many places that have stopped doing comedy afterward. Am I so good that venues choose to end it after I grace the stage? Or is it the opposite? I’ll honestly let you decide when you listen to 11 Dollar Jokes! One thing for sure, if I ever get a Netflix Special and then they close Netflix…It’s probably my fault.
Thank you for reading this random blog post about my special! I know it’s weird to write an article about your own product but I wanted to, and I’ll own the weirdness. Have a great day!
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