Eric Andre Plays “Would You Rather” For Future Musical Guests: Danzig, Oasis, 112, Randy Newman, Marilyn Manson And More

Eric Andre is at his wits’ end. The 37-year-old comedian and actor is worried about the state of the world, the global shift to extreme conservatism and the effects that algorithms and artificial intelligence are having on society. Last week, he briefly watched the final presidential debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden, but quickly found himself bored.

“I already voted,” Andre explains. “I’m burnt out. What more is there to learn about these guys? Trump’s just gonna lie—those debates—they’re from a bygone era. They’re not relevant anymore. They’re from before there was television when it was actually the only way to get information about the candidates. But now we have 24 hour news and social media. We’re constantly bombarded.”

But even as the world appears to burn, one week before Election Day, Eric Andre has an outlet for relief. On the internet, he continues to engage with fans and celebrate the chaos. In Too Hot 4 Zoom, a disastrous hour-long livestream event that went off with as many hiccups as possible, the host smiled his way through a calamity of unintentionally muted audio and inexplicably encouraged hot microphones.

His guests included a random assortment of fans and David Arquette. It remains unclear as to whether or not he actually had a two-way conversation with the actor.

And Andre’s absurdist late night program, The Eric Andre Show, returned to Adult Swim on Sunday for its fifth season after a four-year hiatus. The show—known for its aggressive and nonsensical behavior, signature man-on-the-street style segments like Bird Up! and the most cringeworthy celebrity interviews known to man—returns with a robust, shaven and tanned host.

The season also brings musical performances by Anderson .Paak, Grimes, Toro y Moi, Joey Bada$$, Lil Yachty, Machine Gun Kelly and more. Andre, an alumnus of the Berklee College of Music, takes some of the biggest pop stars in the world, strips them of their ego and has them perform in the least flattering of circumstances.

Take, for example, rapper-turned-pop-rocker Machine Gun Kelly, who’s used to fanfare and performing to massive crowds. On The Eric Andre Show, he’s voluntarily reduced to rapping while covered in bugs.

Below, Andre breaks down season five’s upcoming musical guests and plays a game of “Would You Rather” with potential future performers. He also takes a moment to address the global socio-political hysteria.

This is probably a fatiguing time to go on a media tour. Are you tired of doing these interviews? Are you burnt out?

I’m very excited that my show is back, but I’m very stressed about politics in America and the world. I think Trump is a reflection of what’s happening all over the world. Authoritarian right-wing regimes are basically using Facebook as a propaganda machine and winning. And duping the masses and using fear-mongering to whip people into a frenzy.

The internet is creating this parallel tribal universe and we’re regressing back to a time before democracy, like Ancient Greek times where it’s just based on authoritarian monarchs and lying and an attitude that people are guilty until proven innocent.

It’s like civilization is starting all over again. And the machines are taking over. It’s like the singularity and the algorithm of Facebook is destroying humanity… watch season five of The Eric Andre Show, Sunday nights at midnight, only on Adult Swim!

When I watched the first episode, I had a steaming hot chicken parmigiana sandwich which I was unable to eat due to the feces and blood featured in the show. I totally lost my appetite. Do you ever have issues like that?

I’ve never been sensitive about that stuff. My mom would say, “Don’t talk about bathroom humor at the table while I’m eating!” But I never had such a vivid imagination that I couldn’t separate the sandwich I’m eating from the poop story that I’m hearing.

Maybe there’s a difference between hearing it and seeing it?

Really? I don’t associate it with what I’m eating. I’m just like, “Oh, that’s poop on TV. And I’m eating a chicken sandwich.” I’m not like, “The chicken sandwich is poop now!” — like I’m on acid. [laughs] “I can’t separate the two!”

But, I wouldn’t be able to watch one of those TLC medical videos of someone getting plastic surgery.

Let’s talk about music. Why did you bring in a new house band this season?

We changed it with the aesthetic of the season, because they’re atmospheric in a sense, they’re otherworldly, almost like apparitions.

For this band, we wanted to purposely cast people that English was their second or third language. My director [Kitao Sakurai] is Japanese. He was like, “Let’s just cast Japanese people.” He was born and raised in Japan and left when he was in third grade. So he just directed them in third-grade Japanese.

It’s almost like prank directing, an approach to directing actors and musicians we find on Craigslist but creating chaos and confusion around them so it never feels like they’re winking at the camera or it’s some sketch comedy thing from the nineties. They were very sweet. They came to the wrap party. They were perfect.

The season premiere featured a performance by Anderson .Paak who takes the stage as Anderson Six-Paak.

In episode three, you have a rap performance by “Machine Bug Kelly.” How do you come up with this stuff? Do you sit there, think up a goofy name and say, “Okay, you’ll funnel a bunch of beers and bang on a drum set?”

That’s pretty much it. [laughs] I think you just answered your own question. I’m sorry there’s not more to it, for “Machine Bug Kelly.”

At the end of Machine Gun Kelly’s performance, you shock him with what appears to be a taser. Was he cool with that?

That was a cattle prod. He knew the show. We don’t fake anything. It’s all genuine reactions.

He cattle-prodded me, too, that thing sucks. A taser is different, the barbs go into your skin and then you’re electrocuted and you kinda drop to your knees and the ground. A cattle prod is meant to move cows along. But that thing sucks! But it doesn’t bring you down. A taser is worse. I’ll take a cattle prod over a taser.

I talked to Johnny Knoxville and he said that pepper spray is 10,000 times worse than anything. He’s been shot with rubber bullets, he’s been tased, cattle-prodded, he said he’ll take that every single day over pepper spray.

How do you pick all the artists that perform on your show?

Some people I have personal relationships with. Anderson, I just texted him. It’s not always that easy. Machine Gun Kelly I knew through [Jackass director] Jeff Tremaine because me and Jeff made Bad Trip together. Machine Gun Kelly did the Mötley Crüe movie The Dirt with Jeff. Musicians are fans of the show, especially rappers. Those are easier to cast than getting actors in the chair.

What other musicians come by this season that you’re excited about?

Lizzo is on it. She takes over Bird Up!, which is great. A$AP Ferg takes over the show, he kicks me out of the chair and takes over an interview, which is also great. 

Then we did Rapper Warrior Ninja with Lil Yachty, Trippie Red, Freddie Gibbs, Fat Tony, Talib Kweli, Danny Brown, Steve-O is in it. We had a bunch of great rappers on to do this gauntlet of torture. Grimes is on it. We did this thing called Grimes and Punishment.

Let’s play a quick game here where you pick who you’d rather have as a future musical guest on The Eric Andre Show.

Let’s start here: 112 or Yoko Ono? 112 is “Peaches and Cream” right?

I think 112 would be more appropriate for the show. But I love Yoko Ono. I think she’s a tragically misunderstood, brilliant artist.

Morris Day or Glenn Danzig? I think Morris Day would be a better fit.

K-Ci & JoJo or Cro-Mags? K-Ci & JoJo.

Oasis’s Liam Gallagher or Noel Gallagher?

Ooh! Whoever is more irritable. Whoever gets pissed off quicker. I think Liam is the worst? I don’t know. Both?

MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough’s band or Billy Bob Thornton’s band?

I think Billy Bob Thornton’s band because he gets really pissy about it.

Marilyn Manson or Fugazi? I think Fugazi would be easier to piss off.

But Marilyn Manson is a legend, I’d love to have him on.

Paul Simon or Randy Newman?

Randy Newman. I’ll tell you why, I heard recently that Paul Simon is a d***. And I was bummed out by that. But, I don’t know. I’ll give anybody the benefit of the doubt. That’s just like, one person who heard one person say that. There’s good and bad in everybody.

But I like that Randy Newman has such a nuanced and specific career. It’s kind of operating in this weird space, this perfect sliver between music and film. He’s just an interesting guy. I like people that have paved their own path and have their own indescribable resume.

Moving on here, when you had 311 on the show and you talked to them face to face, what was their impression on your relationship with the band? For context, on your show, you often called to “Investigate 311” and made claims that “311 was an inside job.”

I think they were excited to be on a comedy show, especially for a younger generation, but they were resigned to accepting that they are the punchline to a joke. I think they’ve made a lot of money and they’ve had a lot of success, and I think they know that they’re kind of like a punchline on the show, but I think they were okay with it. 

They’re almost a punchline to their own joke. They’re Nebraska guys making surf-rap-rock, but songs that they wrote when they’re 21 and they’re playing them at 51. I almost think they’re like, “Yeah man, we wrote these songs when we were like 19. We’re paying our mortgage, our kids are going to good college, s*** on us all you want.” 

I actually like them. I wasn’t like “Haha, f*** you, I’m the king of musical taste!” I listen to 311. I listen to 311 to get pumped up when we’re about to go out and film. My fandom for them is genuine and I grew up listening to them.

There’s a lot of music that people dismiss as they get older then begin listening to it again ironically. Eventually they accept that they can, let’s say, enjoy a Limp Bizkit album without qualifying it.

It goes through that cycle where you listen to it, then you grow out of it, then you’re embarrassed by it, then you’re ashamed of it, then you start listening to it again secretly, like you’re an alcoholic sneaking NyQuil into your stomach, then you’re like, “Whatever, whatever! I’m an adult! I can listen to this!”

J Balvin and Travis Scott both have their own McDonald’s meals now. If there was an Eric Andre Meal, what chain would sell it and what would be included?

I’m trying to think of the chains that don’t make me puke. Popeyes is probably the best. No, I would shout out Florida. There’s an old s***ty gyro place called Miami Subs. They didn’t even make subs. [Imitating Greek accent] “Gyro, pardon me boss, GYRO!”

I would make an Eric Andre Miami Sub’s meal. I would lean into the artificial ingredients and make green Mountain Dew flavored lamb meat. And I’m sure ranch would be involved.

Follow me on Twitter at @DerekUTG.