If you’re an active member of the Phish community, you may have noticed a guy by the name of Jacob Wallach posting in groups about this new television series that he plays a main character in. This is because I told him to, looping him into the worlds of Phish Tour 2014 (sorry, Jay) and Phish Tour 2017 (sorry, Jacob). Every fan likes to know that there are more of us out there, especially when involved in a televised program. As this community is known for its supportive nature, it’s worth putting this new show on your radar. If for nothing else, we know it will make you laugh.
Jacob plays Randy, the sound guy, on Pop’s new satirical workplace series Nightcap. Going into their fifth episode, we sat down with the actor to learn more about his character both on and off the screen. We also snagged an exclusive sneak-peak of what’s to come on tonight’s episode, which you can view with the interview below. But first, behold the shirt:
Live For Live Music: You play Randy in Pop’s new satirical workplace series Nightcap. Tell us about your character.
Jacob Wallach: He is a realist, a dreamer. He’s over-qualified for his position and he knows it. He spends his spare time delving into dark web conspiracy theories. Oh, and he’s a pervy ginger who really thrives at his job when it involves micing the female guests. Tonight, in episode 5, Randy (while proudly wearing his Rainbow Phish logo tee) and Marcus (from hair and makeup) pitch a brilliant business idea to Mark Cuban.
Watch that scene exclusively below:
L4LM: Can you tell us a little about Nightcap?
JW: Nightcap is a workplace comedy (created by the incredibly funny Ali Wentworth) that gives the viewers a behind the scenes look at a fictitious late night talk show, “Nightcap with Jimmy.” Through her years of doing the talk show circuit, Ali realized the real show is taking place backstage, before the taping of the actual show and thus Nightcap was born. So on Nightcap, everything takes place backstage, you never meet the host and in each episode real celebrities play themselves, including Gwyneth Paltrow, Sarah Jessica Parker, Paul Rudd, Kelly Ripa, Debra Messing, Whoopi Goldberg, George Stephanopoulos, Denis Leary, Michael J. Fox, Andy Cohen, Mark Cuban, Mark Consuelos, Jim Gaffigan, Janeane Garofalo, Mariska Hargitay, Jim Norton, Beth Stern, Gigi Gorgeous, Rosie Perez and Joel Schumacher.
L4LM: I notice you wear a few Phish t-shirts on the show, whose idea was that?
JW: (Laughter) Well, as we all know, Phish is without a doubt the greatest band of all time and the Phish community is a tight knit group of obsessive fans who love nothing more than expressing our love for the band. I mean, we (Phish fans) have a hashtag #WeAreEverywhere for expressing our love in the public eye. From Fluffhead signs on ESPN, to Dan Greenhaus throwing Phish lyrics into financial analysis on CNBC, and of course, Harris Wittels on Parks and Rec. We’ve been at this for a while and as a fan, I’ve always wanted to incorporate Phish references into a TV show. So, when our costume designer emailed me to tell me that I’d be wearing band t-shirts and to ask for a list of my favorite bands, I responded with only one. The rest is history. Oh, and a special shoutout to Julia, Kevin, and Beth from Phish Inc, for allowing me to wear the iconic logo tees. Thank you! Oh yeah, and did I mention they’re the greatest band of all time?
L4LM: When and how did you first start listening to Phish?
JW: In 1998, when I was 12 and my oldest brother Jason came home from college with a gigantic stash of cassette tapes. He either left some behind or I stole one, I’m not sure, but I ended up with a cassette of 8/6/98 (Lakewood) and I put it in and my mind was blown, I couldn’t stop listening. I was instantly hooked. Interestingly enough, the first song I ever heard Phish play was “Runnin’ With the Devil.” Turns out that was a Van Halen song, so maybe I’m just a big Van Halen fan? So, I listened to that tape over and over, “borrowed” more tapes, and shared them with all my friends at school. Years later, the same brother took me to see my first show in Camden, 7/30/2003, (2.0 noob, brah) and now I’ve been going every chance I get. In fact, I’ll be at MSG in a few weeks and I think it’s the perfect time for the band to bring back my first favorite Phish song “Runnin’ With the Devil!” What do you say, fellas?
L4LM: Why might phans relate to or enjoy Nightcap?
JW: It’s really funny, it’s got celebrities doing crazy shit, it’s a workplace comedy filled with idiots, and who can’t relate to idiots at work? It’s got conspiracy theories (what’s up Chemtrails?), it’s easy to watch, and it’s even better stoned (legally, under the guidance of a medical expert), and Phish isn’t touring, so really, what else are you doing on a Wednesday night? 🙂 Fluffhead.
More about Jacob’s character:
“Nightcap” airs Wednesdays at 8:00 PM, ET/PT on Pop. To find your channel, visit poptv.com. And follow Jacob on his Instagram and Twitter: @jacobwallach.