Eric Andre Saw Wu-Tang Perform After Smoking Embalming Fluid

Eric Andre has the strangest talk show on television. The Eric Andre Show, which is heading into its third season on Adult Swim, has seen its popularity skyrocket over the past couple of years. The show's fan base is unique yet is growing more and more as word has spread that Eric, along with his co-host Hannibal Buress, really have something special. "The show has a real specific fan base but it’s a good sized fan base and it’s been growing over the past few years," Burress told XXL a few weeks ago. "It’s been interesting just to see who the fans of the show are and bring different guests on."

The show often crosses the line—err, make that slingshots itself over the line—of what a "talk show" is able to pull off. Each year the pranks get crazier and the segments get weirder yet it's never uncomfortable to watch, is always entertaining and the guests just keeps on getting bigger. Andre is on a mission to totally destroy the formula of what a talk show is supposed to be, and with a third season boasting hip-hop heavyweights such as Wiz Khalifa, Tyler, The Creator, Killer Mike and Action Bronson on the show this season the script goes entirely out the window. XXL got Eric Andre on the phone to discuss what fans can expect from the third season of The Eric Andre Show, who he bases his character on and that one time he saw Wu-Tang Clan perform after smoking embalming fluid. Really. —Emmanuel C.M.

XXL: What can we expect for the next season?
Eric Andre: We got bigger guests this year, more hardcore pranks. It’s the best season yet and I’m really proud of it. Wiz Khalifa, Action Bronson, Killer Mike, Tyler, The Creator, Seth Rogen, Jimmy Kimmel, we got everybody. We got porn stars and rappers on the show.

What made you think you can have a talk show, be this extreme and have it actually work?
It’s just pure stupidity. We try to come up with just the stupidest ideas possible and then afterwards we go into the woods and eat LSD.

How many set props do you go through into the season?
Too much; pretty much more than we can afford. We are broke. We don’t have a lot of money to begin with and we spent it. [Laughs]

How did the idea of trashing the set come about?
I don’t know; I had the idea for a while. I’m a big Tom Green fan and he trashed his set one time. I remember watching it like, "Man we should do that all the time." I’m a big Space Ghost fan and Ali G fan—those are the kind of big influences on me. Hannibal [Buress] and I were just doing comedy at the same time and I just loved his style. He has the total opposite energy, like a deadpan style. I just thought it would be funny that we were these two inept talk show hosts. We made this presentation years ago in this abandoned bodega in Brooklyn. We made this seven-minute video and passed it around all networks and Adult Swim bought it.

What made you pick Hannibal?
He’s the best; he’s like the perfect classic comedic duo, odd couple relationship. I’m like this hyper psychofrenic dude and he’s like super low-key, brutally honest; the polar opposite energy. We balance each other out. My character can be as insane as he wants to be and he’s like the voice of reason and he just calls me out on my shit.

How big did you think the show is going to be? It’s getting really popular.
It’s crazy, man. I just went to Howard Stern's office and he was like, "I love the show," and Chris Rock was like. "I want to be on the show." These guys are like my heroes. So it’s a total trip that we’re getting these big names now. It’s like a dream come true. Very honored to have those guys on the show. I grew up listening to them

Memorable moment this upcoming season?
We had our first walk out. Lauren Conrad walked the fuck out in the middle of the interview because I was puking all over the place and sucking right back in. She just said peace. [Laughs] She said peace the fuck out. Just great performance, man. We have Lil Jon on this year—he killed it. Crazy pranks. We got the cops called on us more this year than any season. I got arrested year one. I’m surprised I didn’t get arrested this year because we had the cops called on us way more. I think we just have tactics now to deal with cops better.

Was there a host or character that you base your character on?
Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Fela Kuti and Hulk Hogan. I love him.

Tons of hip-hop artists are on the show this year.
I listen to everyone who I have on my show. I love having all these guys on my show. I'd love to have Kendrick Lamar on the show if he’s willing to do it. I love to have Snoop on the show. Whoever wants to do the show. I love the fact that hip-hop artists want to come on the show.

Who in hip-hop or music do you listen to?
I love Death Grips a lot, big Death Grips fan. I like Venetian Snares and Charles Mingus and Hieroglyphics. And Weird Al Yankovic.

What happened when Wiz Khalifa and Tyler, The Creator were on the show? I feel like that had to go well.
Tyler is one of the most interesting people that we ever had. We didn’t talk for the first, like, 10-15 minutes. We just wanted to set a weird tone in the room and freak him out. Then we were electrocuting him and stuff. Wiz was fucking stoic, he was hard to shake. He was great, man. After the show he was like, “Man, if you want to come to my show here’s my number." Greatest dude ever.

What else are you working on outside of the Eric Andre Show?
I’m doing a show on FXX called Man Seeking Woman and it debuts in January. So we’re up in Toronto shooting now. It’s a actor Jay Baruchel's show. He’s been in every Judd Apatow movie, Knocked Up, This Is The End. He plays this guy who’s really down on his luck with women and I’m like his best friend, ladies man, womanizer guy. I try to get him back on his feet. The world is like all tripped out and goes into like a fantasy world. It’s pretty unique; I’m very excited about it.

If you were a rapper, who would you be and why?
Oh man. Either Ol’ Dirty Bastard, RZA but Gravedigga RZA, Juicy J... No wait, Skee-Lo. All day.

Seems like you’re a big Wu-Tang fan.
I love Wu-Tang. I saw Wu-Tang with Rage Against The Machine when I was 14 years old. It changed my life. I was high as hell. I had pants that were too big for me, my belt broke and I got rained on. I took a poop in the woods earlier because I got there too early. I smoked embalming fluid by accident. My friend stole a joint from this kid but he didn’t know the kid dipped it in embalming fluid. Everything looked like it was in Super Nintendo. [Laughs]

How did you find the band from the show?
That’s Tim and Eric [Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim]. They have a rolodex of crazy people in there in their secret files. They weren’t even a band, we cast them individually.

Filed Under: comedy central, eric andre, Feature, featured, hip-hop junkie, the eric andre show

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