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Tom Rhodes Smart Camp — Comedy
Tom Rhodes Smart Camp

About Smart Camp podcast
Tom Rhodes Smart Camp is a festival of ideas, knowledge, stories, books, and adventures. I have been a comedian for more than 40 years, traveling the world to perform comedy. Whenever I can, I will share my adventures with you on this podcast. Together with my creative partner and best friend, Ashna, we ‘re offering a blend of wisdom, humor, and heart.

Tom
I have been a comedian for more than 40 years. I travel the world, performing comedy. Exploring diverse cultures and connecting with people from all walks of life while doing comedy is at the heart of my journey. Whenever I can, I’ll share my adventures and a global perspective with you on this podcast.

Ashna
Ashna, Dutch artist, photographer, and my ex-wife, is my best friend and she’s an essential part of the Rhodesies production team. We’ve traveled the world together for 8 years. With her background in cognitive psychology and her passion for philosophy and the arts, Ashna shares her unique European perspective.

Copyright: © 2011 Tom Rhodes

Latest Episodes:

353 RIP Amazing Johnathan Feb 24, 2022

Show notes

This episode is a repost from September 2014.

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Recorded at Johnathan's house in Las Vegas, September 2014

I want to pay tribute to the Amazing Johnathan before he drops dead.

We all avoid the thought of death and superstitiously try to avoid the topic but that dirty whore will strike each of us. The Amazing Johnathan has a heart ailment and his doctors have told him that if his medicine doesn't work he only has one year to live.

Imagine what you would do if you were told you only had one year to live.

After years of touring relentlessly he wants to stay at home, maybe buy a new big screen TV, maybe do heroin, maybe a demolition derby in his back yard?

I drove into his swank neighborhood, gated community with plush lawns and green trees in Las Vegas. Rich people can make it green anywhere. His house is a large sparkling palace with classic cars parked all over the front yard and back.

The 17 year old boy in me can't help but smile to see sitting in his drive way a 1967 midnight blue convertible GTO. His tasteful home has been modified to his specifications and every painting in his house has a trick or joke function hidden that can spring forth at his command. His opulent home is exactly the way you would dream Amazing Johnathan's house would be or a mad scientist with a wicked sense of humor. I'm impressed to see the life that he made for himself and I'm proud of him for being one of the few comedians who was smart with his money.

He earned it! Going from comedy club headliner to doing countless television appearances he opened up The Amazing Johnathan Theater in Las Vegas and his ominous presence could be felt advertised everywhere in the city during his decades run. I would credit Amazing Johnathan with being right at that turning point in Las Vegas history where it went from being a sad joke to the cool upgraded spot it is today. George Carlin was a fan of his and once left him a long complimentary message on his answering machine. He listens to it when he gets depressed he tells me. He attributes everything he has to drugs. He tells me the best and worst times he had on drugs. He is open with me and honest about his lunatic partying days. He tells me that dying is a lazy way to get compliments.

I met the Amazing Johnathan doing comedy festival and television tapings and we have been friends from sharing those experiences. Our mad men party periods never met and I only knew him in a professional way that I respected. His comedy for lack of a better description I would call rock & roll comedy magician but whatever you would call it the man always hit the stage like a hurricane with jokes coming at you from everywhere. For me personally the reason I love the Amazing Johnathan is because when I was a young comedian watching every stand up comedy show on television while dreaming of getting there myself that is when I saw him for the first time. Destroying the audience on television and me at home.

He was unlike all the other stiff, cookie cutter style comedians, he had his own style and his magic tricks involved fake blood and his eye popping out. Crazy shit! I loved him for his wildness and I respected him before I ever even met him.

In Shakespeare's Hamlet, Hamlet holds the skull of a comedian and he laments the fact that such a magic human who had made him laugh so hard is no longer of this earth. I ain't Hamlet and I ain't waiting until the man is dead to say how much I appreciate him. This tribute episode is not meant to be sad, it is meant to be alive and celebratory. For this reason I end the episode with a song I love instead of some sad sappy shit. The man left his mark on American entertainment and world wide comedy. I'm grateful that I know him and that he invited me over to his house to have this conversation with him.

It is my pleasure to present to you now the one and only Amazing Johnathan!

352 Zainab Johnson Feb 21, 2022

Show notes

In the USA we had a war on drugs, we had a war on terrorism, and now I think we need to declare war on anger.

Each one of us should fight to keep that poison out of our lives. Listening to Curtis Mayfield helps. Another sure way to perfect joy is by listening to this warm and lovely conversation I had with Zainab Johnson.

She is someone I love and would always makes laugh. Let some light into your life and rejoice now that the new episode of TRR Smart Camp is here! It is my please to introduce you now to the one and only Zainab Johnson! Joy to you! Patreon.com/tomrhodesradiosmartcamp

351 Monique Marvez Feb 14, 2022

Show notes

Happy love day February 14! Today I want to introduce you to the bright ball of sunshine, intelligence & hilarity that is my good friend Monique Marvez.

She is a fire breathing dragon on the comedy stage and a possessor of great pearls of wisdom from a life fully lived. Get happy with this glorious conversation that we recorded for delight of your brain & all of humanity. Joy be upon you! patreon.com/tomrhodesradiosmartcamp

350 Meet Danny Fingers & The Thumbs Feb 09, 2022

Show notes

Danny Fingers & The Thumbs have a new album coming out on February 22 & he has flown himself down from Bend, Oregon to tell me all about it. Danny is a fellow world traveler and artistic soul and that is why it is my pleasure to present him to you now. Joy be upon you!

349 RIP Jonathan Atherton Feb 07, 2022

Show notes

My heart took a solid punch of sadness when I learned of the recent passing of Jonathan Atherton. He was a pioneer on the international comedy scene for nurturing and helping to develop the comedy scenes in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. He was a beautiful lunatic with a golden heart who made me and so many others laugh through the years with his all loving comedy in defense of the underdog. It was my pleasure to share many stages with him throughout South East Asia and I am forever grateful to him for introducing me to black pepper crab in Singapore which to this day remains one of my favorite things on this earth. I'm happy to have known him and even happier that I recorded this conversation with him in Singapore in 2013. Rejoice in his stories of a life fully lived and his rich voice full of expression. Performing stand up comedy and passing on the flame to the next generation were his greatest passions in life and it is my pleasure to honor him here and now by reposting this conversation that we recorded. My love and sympathy to his surviving love of his life Beatrice who helped him reach his full potential in life. I will miss your beautiful laugh and your caring world view, RIP my dear friend Jonathan Atherton.

348 Mount Adorable Jan 25, 2022

Show notes

Enjoy this conversation I recorded with my wonderful & amazing mother in Mount Dora, Florida. Joy be upon you!

* Become our patron and receive podcast goodies! www.patreon.com/tomrhodesradiosmartcamp

* Sign up for a conversation with Tom! www.patreon.com/tomrhodesradiosmartcamp

347 Mission To Cheer Myself Up Dec 05, 2021

Show notes

This year has been rough and I have been on a mission to cheer myself up.

Comedy, baseball, rollerskating and music have been my tools to repair my joy but most of all, friendships have been my glue holding it all together. I am blessed to have so many good true friends in my life and in this episode I review the many strange and joyous experiences I've lived recently. Hooray for humanity and hooray the many beautiful human beings who populate my life. Are you interested in future podcast episodes? Support by sharing, donating and enjoying extra's on Patreon.com/tomrhodesradiosmartcamp

346 Blue Tom Sep 09, 2021

Show notes

Let me tell you about the time I smoked pot with Jack Nicholson at Dodger stadium during a Rolling Stones concert

I blew it! I have been dating an amazing woman and I broke up with her only to find out that my love is stronger than my pride and my principles.

In this episode I talk about how I'm afraid to listen to music now because the right song could destroy me. I talk about the death of Charlie Watts and the time I smoked pot with Jack Nicholson at Dodger stadium. Also I remember the best lines from the movies of Jean-Paul Belmondo who also died recently. Special thanks to Erick Urquidez who produced this episode. Joy be upon you! patreon.com/tomrhodesradiosmartcamp

345 Montana Bubble Wand Aug 06, 2021

Show notes

It is best to stay a bus length away from a bison and a football field's length away from a bear.

Hear the story of my epic trip trip to Montana, from the best place to see bison, to where you can take bubble breaks along the highway and why mounted deer heads on walls all have the same facial expression. Come ride along with me to learn amazing animal facts and to hear stories that will make your belly quake with laughter. Joy be upon you and hooray for humanity! patreon.com/tomrhodesradiosmartcamp

344 I Got It! Jul 26, 2021

Show notes

Never become a bitter turd, no matter what happens to you. For the first time in 37 years I had to cancel show due to illness because I got Covid 19! I am fully vaccinated so I felt bullet proof and hugged way too many people at the shows in Las Vegas last week. Fortunately I was about to perform at Brad Garrett's comedy club in Las Vegas when I found out that I had it. Brad Garrett is one of the most loving & generous people in show business & the glorious humans who work at his club are like family to me. I was allowed to stay at the MGM Grand hotel & quarantine here. The first few days I felt like a truck had run me over & the big jacuzzi tub in the room was a great relief to my body aches. Las Vegas is currently a hot bed for the Delta variant & it got me. Now this is just one more thing that I have survived. In this episode I talk about how the last 8 days of quarantine have been, the beautiful memorial celebrating the life of Carl LaBove that I spoke at that was held at Brad Garrett's comedy club on July 18. I tell you here about the legacy of the bright soul that was Carl LaBove is to never become a bitter turd, no matter what happens to you. I also talk about the influence that Annick Piel had on me, she was the mother of my first adult love story Nathalie & Annick recently passed away in Paris. With my girlfriend sitting beside me we talk about the Westwood Village memorial cemetery where we saw the graves of Rodney Dangerfield and Marilyn Monroe. We also talk about seeing Kool & the Gang at the Hollywood Bowl & seeing Charley Crockett at the Belly Up in Solana Beach. Going to cemetery's remind you to live & so does getting Covid 19. I'm ready to live & bust out of the MGM in Las Vegas & be rejuvenated & healed in the wilderness. The great wide open West stands open before me. I'm ready to breath easy among the mountains. Special thanks to Brad Garrett for paying me this week even though I didn't do any shows. I'm grateful for the people in my life & that is the best thing I learned during this illness. God bless the good hearted true friends! Hollywood be thy name! patreon.com/tomrhodesradiosmartcamp

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