Dam Yankee

Jiaoying Summers - Stop Being a Victim, Start Being Funny

Jiaoying Summers is one of the most fearless comedians working today. She owns two comedy clubs, runs a production studio, hosts the Tiger Mommy podcast, and is currently on her first European tour. She is also 35 weeks pregnant and has not slept properly in weeks.
Success has come far faster than happiness for comedian Jiaoying Summers. In just a few short years, the Chinese immigrant went from hosting open mics on Zoom to starring in a Hulu special, buying comedy clubs, and selling out international tours. But years of harsh parenting and cultural clashes still fuel a relentless search for self-worth.
Fresh off sold-out shows in Dublin, London and Amsterdam, Jiaoying sat down with Dam Yankee host Zack Newmark to talk about growing up in China with a drunk father and a tiger mom who still cannot say she loves her, moving to Lexington Kentucky at 18 without speaking a word of English, and building a comedy career from scratch after a director told her to get out of his office but also maybe try stand-up.
"She doesn't think happiness is a factor for human beings," Summers says of her mother. "She think happiness come with success, but it doesn't. So I spent my whole life trying to value myself."
She also opens up about the painful side of her ambition, the feeling that her self-worth is entirely tied to what she produces, the difficulty of feeling happiness even when everything she ever dreamed of has come true and why she bought her own comedy clubs rather than wait for someone to book her.Recorded in Amsterdam during her Lucky Pony 26 European tour, Summers opens up about the deep emotional wounds that shaped her dark, unfiltered humor. She recounts traumatic memories of her alcoholic father, including a chilling incident where she was left "floating in the pool until they closed the pool" while he drank, only to face her mother's wrath alone.
Summers also confronts the jarring realities of Eastern beauty standards as she prepares to welcome a child with her American fiancé: "And it's gonna be a white boy," she notes of her mother's reaction. "The darker your skin means you are poor, you work at a farm. The lighter your skin means you are royalty, so."
From setting up a satirical "rehab fund" for her son's stand-up ambitions to combating generational trauma, this is a raw, hilarious, and unforgettable interview. Watch the full episode on YouTube, or listen to the Dam Yankee on all major podcast platforms.
 
Timestamps:00:00 - Introduction & A Power Outage in Amsterdam00:57 - Touring Europe at 35 Weeks Pregnant & Why She Did It Anyway02:27 - Her Mom's Reaction to the New Baby & Chinese Beauty Standards04:28 - Tiger Mom vs Loving Mom: Breaking the Cycle With Her Own Kids05:31 - Self-Worth, Achievement & Why Success Never Feels Like Enough06:54 - Two Comedy Clubs, a Production Studio & a New Special08:09 - Writing Her Second Hour, a TV Show & a Book While Making a Baby11:26 - What Species Are You: Her First Special 12:05 - How a Hollywood Director Told Her to Get Out & Try Stand-Up13:38 - Growing Up in China & Never Knowing Stand-Up Was a Career15:19 - Landing in Lexington Kentucky & Being the Only Chinese Person16:51 - Working in Restaurants, Getting Bullied & Going Back to Headline18:41 - Using Success as Power & What She Does With It20:13 - Her Kids, Her Ex & the Private Jet Dream22:20 - The Back Injury in Vegas That Almost Cancelled the Whole Tour26:00 - Performing in a Wheelchair in Madison Wisconsin & Killing Anyway29:12 - The Influencer Attack, TikTok Censorship & Her Grandmother's Curse35:22 - Why She Bought Her Own Comedy Clubs Instead of Complaining38:00 - Woman of Color in Comedy & Why Victim Mentality 43:29 - Nikki Glaser, Margaret Cho & the Comedians Who Have Her Back46:18 - The Comedians She Wants to Elevate: Charlene Kaye49:12 - Asian Beauty Standards, K-Pop & Why It Is All Toxic54:20 - Her Father's Sobriety & What Made Him Stop Drinking57:35 - Most Awkward Christmas Dinner Ever59:06 - Where to Find Her, Tiger Mommy Podcast & the Fall World Tour
Follow Jiaoying Summers:Instagram/TikTok/Facebook/YouTube: @jiaoyingsummersTour & Tickets: jellyandcomedy.comPodcast: Tiger Mommy Podcast
Connect with me:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zacharynewmark  
Follow Dam Yankee: https://www.instagram.com/damyankeepodcast  
Website: https://damyankeepodcast.nltimes.nl/
This podcast is produced and recorded by 301 Studios in Amsterdam.

Comedian Greg Shapiro on Trump Tribunals, his viral "Netherlands Second" video

... and how Seth Meyers outed Shapiro on stage as someone who likely has ADHD.
In this episode of the Dam Yankee podcast, host Zack Newmark sits down with comedian, voice actor, and American Netherlander Greg Shapiro. Best known across the globe as the voice of Donald Trump in the viral "America First, Netherlands Second" video, Shapiro gets real about the high stakes of modern politics.
He doesn't mince words about the future of the U.S., warning, "We assume that this, crazy Trump, you know, project 2025, now in 2026, you know, this won't last forever. And, I think someone said, we'll see you at Nuremberg 2.0, yeah".
Beyond the political satire of his upcoming ninth solo show, King Me: 250 Years of Donald Trump, Shapiro opens up about the personal costs of his 30-year comedy career. He shares the painful reality of moving to Amsterdam in 1994, which fractured his relationship with his family back in Chicago.
 
It took 20 years for his father to finally say, "...when you moved away, and I understood at some point, oh, you're not coming back. And I guess I thought, good for you. And, proud. You know, I'm proud of you".
Shapiro also gives a fascinating look inside his neurodivergent brain, explaining the "back pocket" technique he uses to manage his ADHD on stage. Tune in to hear the unbelievable story of how the "Netherlands Second" catchphrase was a last-minute afterthought, and why Shapiro thinks America might be due for a new revolution.
 
Watch the episode now on YouTube, or listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more services.

Mosimann on Dream Tracks, Viral Fails & Selling Out a 19,000 Seat Arena

Swiss-French DJ, record producer and #dreamtrack inventor Quentin Mosimann sat down with Dam Yankee host Zack Newmark fresh off a sleepless night after announcing a sold-out show at the Accor Arena in Paris for 19,000 people. 
After 15 years as a DJ, something shifted in the last two years. The social numbers went up, the gig requests went up, and suddenly Quentin was playing 150 shows a year while trying to figure out how to handle worldwide agency requests with a team that was never built for that kind of scale.
He talks about the viral Dream Tracks series he created with Hugh Jackman, Kate Hudson and Edgar Wright, why his worst dream track got millions of views, and why he once walked away from a million euro deal and a Universal contract to start completely from scratch.
Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction & The Paris Arena Announcement01:58 - 5,000 People in Line & Why He Can't Believe It's Happening03:17 - 15 Years as a DJ & What Suddenly Changed in the Last Two Years05:14 - Paradiso Amsterdam vs a 19,000 Seat Arena07:19 - Why One Hour as a DJ Is a Disaster & Why He Needs to Tell a Story09:20 - Producing His Own Shows for the First Time & the Risk That Paid Off09:58 - Dream Tracks: The Concept, Hugh Jackman & the Wolverine Scream12:35 - When Dream Tracks Become Real Releases13:03 - Edgar Wright, The Running Man & the Dream Track That Shouldn't Have Existed16:18 - How Dream Tracks Became the Concept for His Entire Live Show18:38 - Building a Track Live on Stage by Sampling the Crowd21:14 - How He Opens & Closes Every Show & the Eric Prydz Outro23:08 - What It Means to Be Aligned as an Artist24:20 - Star Academy France: Why He Did It & What He Had to Lose26:12 - Winning a Million Euros, a Universal Deal & Walking Away From All of It30:36 - Quitting Universal, Signing to Sony RCA & Trusting His Team32:28 - Paying Off His Mother's 145,000 Euro Debt34:21 - Swiss-French Identity and Dutch Directness38:07 - Working 24 Hours a Day & Watching Other People Drink Beers40:15 - 150 Shows a Year, No Alcohol on the Road & One Cigarette a Day42:04 - Hotel Rooms, Netflix, a Dog & Waiting for the One44:00 - Why Being Aligned Is the Only Thing That Matters46:10 - Why He Started Bringing Live Instruments on Stage48:00 - Playing Underground Techno at Fuse Belgium: A Childhood Dream49:07 - Checking Off Bucket List Milestones & Amsterdam Dance Event50:52 - Four Seasons as a Judge on The Voice Belgium & Why He Stopped51:13 - What Opened the Door to Big Name Dream Tracks52:03 - The Dream Track He Still Wants: Jimmy Fallon & a Dutch Artist53:35 - The Full Dream Tracks Process: From Pre-Interview to Final Edit57:04 - The Two Hour Remix That's Now Everywhere on French Radio
Connect with Mosimann:  https://www.instagram.com/mosimann/https://quentinmosimann.com/
Connect with me:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zacharynewmark  

Iconic musician Femi Kuti hides bitter truths in his biggest upbeat hits

Join host Zack Newmark on this unforgettable episode of Dam Yankee for a profound and deeply personal conversation with six-time Grammy-nominated Afrobeat legend Femi Kuti. Currently traversing Europe on a massive tour to support his introspective new album, Journey Through Life, Femi stops by to reveal the complex man behind the roaring saxophone and pulsating rhythms.
In a raw, highly vulnerable interview, Femi explains the ingenious, culturally rooted way he tricks listeners into digesting difficult political realities. "The way I see my music is they should be in malaria tablets," he explains. "It was the worst tablet you could take. It was so bitter... So you can still dance. You can still party. So consciously or subconsciously, the lyrics hit you."
Despite decades as a global music icon, Femi pulls back the curtain on the intense, unseen pressure of touring, confessing to Zack, "I'm always scared of about the next day. I'm always scared." He also addresses the darkest psychological moments of his youth, detailing the agonizing, deeply misunderstood choice to leave his father Fela Kuti's band."I didn't want my father to die. I loved him too much," he reveals, reflecting on the heavy, terrifying burden of musical inheritance.
From sold-out crowds in the Netherlands to the legendary stages of the New Afrika Shrine, discover the joy, the fear, and the unyielding passion of a musical titan. Don't miss this incredible episode—tune in now to hear the rest of the story.
This episode of the Dam Yankee podcast is now on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more services.

Randy Feltface is still funnier than terminally-ill Teletubbies

He’s the world’s most famous purple philosopher, but even global icons get tired of living out of a suitcase. In this milestone 50th episode of the Dam Yankee podcast, host Zack Newmark sits down with the one and only Randy Feltface for a raw, hilarious, and unexpectedly vulnerable look at the fabricated man behind the comedy. The show is out now on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more services.
Fresh off a string of sold-out Dutch shows and a high-profile appearance on Arjen Lubach's show, Randy is gearing up for his new YouTube special, "First Banana" (dropping April 1). But beneath the manic stage energy lies a performer who is fundamentally burned out.
"I got a lot of, you know, rejection in the early days," he recalled, dropping his manic energy for a moment of grim reflection. Promoters would dismiss him outright with incredibly specific insults. "A lot of 'we'll call you when we need someone who looks like Tinky Winky from the Teletubbies with a life threatening autoimmune disease. We'll get on the phone when we need that, Randy.'"
From the grueling physical toll of his "Buster Keaton" performance style to his 20 years of nonstop touring, Randy pulls no punches about the reality of the circuit. "I'm sick of it," he confessed. "I want to do some laundry. I want a washing machine. That's too much to ask. I want a goddamn washing machine and a bookshelf. Oh, and a cup. I want a mug."
Feltface admits there is a unique energy he finds when performing for audiences in the Netherlands. The connection with Dutch crowds is part of what keeps him going even when he feels he’s "evolving the wrong way". The thrill of the live environment as something that can’t be replicated, noting, "I love touring, I'm... perpetually grateful for the world that I have created and that I get to exist in".
This full episode of Dam Yankee can be seen on YouTube, or listen to the Dam Yankee on all major podcast platforms.
Randy Feltface is currently on tour with comedian Brodi Snook in the United States, which continues through the end of May. The duo then head back out on the road for more North American tour dates in September. Follow Feltface on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook for updates.

Nira Tal went from unnoticed immigrant with burnout to rising comedy star

How does a 20-year "identity erasure" lead to a career in dark comedy? In this episode of Dam Yankee, host Zack Neumark sits down with Israeli comedian Nira Tal to uncover the raw reality behind her midlife pivot. After moving to the Netherlands for love, Tal admits that for two decades, "There was no Nira."
Following a severe corporate burnout at age 38, Tal turned to the stage to reclaim her voice. Today, she is a staple at Comedy Club Haug, specializing in what she calls "feel-very-bad comedy." For Tal, humor isn't about making people happy, it’s about survival. "If I find the funny in it, then I’m okay," she explains on the podcast, now on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and many more services. 
The interview reaches a chilling peak when Tal discusses her pseudodwarfism. She reveals a staggering twist of fate regarding her father, an elite athlete whose "physical failure" to qualify for the 1972 Munich Olympics ended up saving his life during the Munich massacre. [Hear the full revelation at 07:12].
Tal also pulls back the curtain on the "unexpected journey" of raising a daughter with autism and why she refuses to feel small in the world’s tallest country. From reclaiming her identity to joking about the Holocaust, nothing is off-limits in her quest to turn anger into art.
Tal shares one story after another, and dives deep into her personal life, on this full episode of Dam Yankee. Watch the show on YouTube, or listen to Dam Yankee on all major podcast platforms.
Nira Tal shares updates on her performance schedule online, including her frequent sets at Comedy Club Haug. She frequently posts updates to Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.

Amsterdam comic Rogier Bak vs. the Manosphere

In an era of "alpha male" influencers and aggressive internet posturing, Rogier Bak is offering a different kind of rescue. Speaking on the latest episode of the Dam Yankee podcast with host Zack Newmark, the Amsterdam-based comedian dissected the friction between modern masculinity and his own upbringing. Bak, known for his viral takes on cultural identity, noted that his skepticism of the "manosphere" isn't just a bit; it’s a tribute to the woman who raised him, he said in the episode, now on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and many more services.
"We don't do romance in the Netherlands. We do paperwork," Bak joked early in the session, but the conversation quickly pivoted from cultural quirks to deep personal history. Bak revealed that his father passed away when he was just 12, leaving him to be raised by a mother who was then, and remains an incredibly important person to the comedian.
On the other hand, he says his father "essentially was pretty good at blaming everybody else for his own issues, rather than taking any accountability for his own failures, shortcomings, and just realizing [missteps are] human. So me having grown up with a mom who was the breadwinner, who was the stable element in my house and who was the most reliable person in my life, I've never grown up with the influence of men telling me that women should be a certain way. or that women should be submissive to a man or that women should play a household role."
[Hear Bak explain the ‘Alpha’ trap at 53:41]
The path to his current success was anything but linear. After spending a decade in the United States, first at a high school in central Illinois, then to pursue basketball in Michigan, and design in New York, Bak was forced to return to the Netherlands when his work visa was not renewed. Leaving his American dream behind was a professional and personal gut-punch.
"I was visiting my mom and I got off the train here in Amsterdam," Bak recalls. "It sounds weird, but I remember watching a group of Dutch people get out of the train. I was like, 'I have nothing in common with you guys. Nothing. I don't identify with this group. And I don't know why."
[Watch him describe the train ride that changed everything at 19:54]
If an identity crisis wasn't enough, Bak shared the story of the ultimate "rock bottom" moment. In 2020, as his comedy career finally began to gain traction, his personal life imploded. He and his wife decided to separate on the "day of the first announcement of the first lockdown in the Netherlands".
Believing the restrictions would only last a couple of weeks, like "everyone" was being told at the time. the couple decided to "weather that storm" together. What followed was a months-long living situation that Bak describes as "absolutely the most tumultuous time," trapped in an apartment with an ex while the world outside, his career, and his livelihood, all remained shut down.
[See how Bak survived a lockdown with his ex-wife at 25:30]
To hear the full story of how Rogier Bak turned a visa rejection, a grieving household, and a claustrophobic divorce into a global comedy brand, watch this full episode of Dam Yankee and YouTube, or listen to Dam Yankee on all major podcast platforms.
Rogier Bak is performing all over the place, including in Amsterdam on Thursday night, then in Ghent and Brussels over the weekend, before returning to Rotterdam and a special Amsterdam set with Nadine Froughi.
He then has tour dates in Prague, Bratislava, Berlin, London, Lisbon, Athens, and all over the Netherlands. Follow him on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook for updates.

Daniel Yazbek

Zack Newmark sits down with Amsterdam-based comedian Daniel Yazbek. Originally from Johannesburg, Daniel traded a master's degree in computer science for a microphone and hasn't looked back since.
Daniel opens up about growing up with two heroin addict parents, the complicated relationship with his mother, and how a childhood shaped by chaos became the foundation for his comedy. He also talks about building the Amsterdam English comedy scene alongside his podcast co-host and friend of the pod Sjoerd Scott, and why he's now taking his stand-up special "I'll Call You Back" on a European tour.
In this episode we talk about turning trauma into comedy, the psychology of addiction and how it shaped his relationships, and what it takes to build a comedy career from scratch in a country that's not your own.
Timestamps:00:00 - Introduction & Welcome00:48 - From South Africa to Amsterdam: The Comedy Origin Story02:16 - Why He Got a Master's in Computer Science as a Backup Plan05:51 - Building a Reputation in the Amsterdam Comedy Scene08:56 - Writing Process & Morning Routines11:06 - Is the Comedy Career Going as Planned?14:37 - ADHD, Flow State & Why Comedians Chase the Stage18:00 - Growing Up with Two Heroin Addict Parents28:01 - His Relationship with His Father & the Netflix Movie32:50 - His Complicated Relationship with His Mother40:20 - Comedic Influences Growing Up43:41 - Pattern Recognition: The Mathematical Approach to Comedy51:47 - The "In the Background" Podcast with Sjoerd Scott54:46 - Taking "I'll Call You Back" on a European Tour57:42 - Adapting the Show for Different Countries & Audiences01:00:32 - Finding Community Through Third World Humor
Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0w7Ro2uWOXUFollow Dam Yankee:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrTNLZq07abBOD19MLzRTSg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/damyankeepodcastWebsite: https://damyankeepodcast.nltimes.nl/Connect with Daniel Yazbek: https://www.instagram.com/daniel.yazbek/
Tickets to Daniel's Show:https://linktr.ee/danielyazbek?utm_source=linktree_profile_share&ltsid=8296fe28-2466-4d85-b15b-38f063f14b4c
Connect with me:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zacharynewmark
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Rashi Agarwal

Why Rashi Agarwal says your "lazy" racism is the least interesting thing about her
How does a privileged woman from India become a "Person of Color" overnight? In this episode of Dam Yankee, host Zack Newmark sits down with stand-up comedian, storyteller, and activist Rashi Agarwal to discuss her viral rise in the Amsterdam comedy scene and her refusal to "play it safe" for Western audiences. The episode is out now on YouTube, with audio-only versions available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and on many more services.
Rashi breaks down the "lazy form of racism" she faces from internet trolls—and why she finds their insults about "shit on the streets" more boring than offensive. She also issues a provocative warning to fellow immigrants about the trap of being "white by proxy," explaining why defending the status quo won't grant you the belonging you're looking for.
The most shocking moment of the episode? Rashi recounts the high-stakes night she performed for the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and pointedly told a VIP table of white ambassadors to "date your colonizer." The room hit a wall of "uncomfortable feeling"—but the reaction she received once the microphones were turned off changed her perspective on the power of comedy.
From finally grabbing a Dutch passport - which she says is like striking gold - to the ironies of a culture where complaining is the national pastime, Rashi explores the layers of societal dynamics she never saw coming.
In this episode, we discuss:
[02:20] The surreal transition of becoming a "Person of Color" only after leaving India.
[07:13] The "Date Your Colonizer" moment: What happened when Rashi called out the Ministry's VIPs.
[17:24] Passport Privilege: Why a blue booklet feels like holding gold.
[21:31] The "White by Proxy" trap: Why Rashi challenges fellow immigrants who over-assimilate.
[24:45] How to dismantle "lazy racism" with a joke about Amsterdam's canal water.
Watch the full episode on YouTube or listen on Spotify to hear the resolution to Rashi’s most daring stories.
 
Amsterdam, Rashi Agarwal, India, comedy, Stand-up Comedy, Coimbatore, sexism, misogyny, storytelling, Mezrab, Mezrab's House of Creation, theater, Dam Yankee, Zack Newmark, podcast, immigration, integration, marketing, fashion, Noord-Holland, Tamil Nadu, Chennai, Kerala, equality, diversity, inclusion

Charlene Coco

Zack Newmark sits down with Amsterdam-based drag queen performer Charlene Coco, to talk about identity, fear, freedom, and what it really means to show up as yourself. Charlene Coco was voted Best New Drag in Town after her debut appearance in Amsterdam in 2019.
Charlene is the drag persona born from the mind of Charlie Robertson, a British performer based in Amsterdam who also uses drag to help offices become more tolerant and inclusive.
From performing political punk-rock drag numbers to moderating panels at Amsterdam Dance Event, Charlene shares her journey from Oxford private school to the stages of Amsterdam’s queer nightlife.
We talk about:• Why drag still triggers fear• The moral panic around drag & trans visibility• Corporate diversity workshops in full drag• Safety, backlash & being visible• God Save The Queer – building community through performance• Pride, politics & protecting nightlife spaces• What allies can actually do
Chapters: 00:00 – Taxi in Full Drag & Public Reactions02:00 – Drag in Corporate Boardrooms07:00 – Discovering Drag & Early Performances12:00 – Political Performances & Punk Energy19:00 – Winning Best New Drag Queen (2020)21:00 – Building “God Save The Queer”26:00 – Is Drag More Accepted Today?30:00 – Fear, Backlash & Moral Panic33:00 – Supporting the Trans Community35:00 – Amsterdam Dance Event & Queer Nightlife39:00 – Why Does Drag Trigger People?44:00 – Cis Privilege & Taking Drag Off47:00 – Coming Out (Twice)52:00 – Drag in the Corporate World
Connect with Charlene Coco: https://www.instagram.com/thecharlenecoco/
Connect with me:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zacharynewmark  
Instagram (The Dam Yankee Podcast): https://www.instagram.com/damyankeepodcast  Website: https://damyankeepodcast.nltimes.nl/