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Welcome back to the Clean Comedy Chats podcast.
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This is absolutely the first time we did this.
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Yeah, nothing bad happened before this started.
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Nothing bad happened.
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Thank you all for coming back.
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We're here with another Clean Comedy Collective comedian.
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This is Zach Williams from I guess you can greet.
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Yeah, hey, what's up, y'all?
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I'm Zach.
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As he said, yeah.
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So good to be here.
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Yeah.
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Uh, we're glad you're here.
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This uh Zach is also a fellow Nashville comedian.
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Uh, we were saying the first time, although if you go on the website, cleancomedycollective.com, and you go to Tennessee, you're gonna see him as a Memphis comedian.
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Uh we're gonna get that updated.
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We'll update that.
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Um, but you know, we'll talk about here in a little bit, but like it fits.
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You kind of you kind of are you still have a foot in both worlds.
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So yeah, I do feel like sort of transitional right now just because a Memphis is like three hours away, so it's not that difficult to bounce back and forth, which helps, you know.
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Yeah, absolutely.
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But if you're a comedian in the or excuse me, if you're an audience person or someone who likes comedy in Nashville, Zach is someone you could see.
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You will see me around, yeah.
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Now, I I was beginning to say this before all the power broke out, and so maybe if it happens again, this is just a curse.
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Again, I maintain it was just too funny and the system overloaded.
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Yeah, that um I don't claim to have a ton of podcast followers, like people that just love me just because of the the podcast.
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But if you're a longtime listener of my podcast adventure, this is the episode you've been waiting for.
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Yeah, I like I was saying I feel bad that I don't have the bald cap.
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Yeah, no one's gonna recognize me without that.
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They're like, who's this perfectly normal person?
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Yeah, he's not dressed up as Vincent Diesel, so what are we doing here?
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I love that you called him Vincent Diesel.
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I don't think anyone's ever I'm I think I I I I think Kyle Canane called him that one time, but yeah.
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Yeah, no, for sure.
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But but Vin Diesel, uh yeah, of the Fast and Furious films.
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That that was the first podcast you had me on.
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And now, like, I'm I'm glad you had me on this one.
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I didn't watch a movie to prepare for this, so I don't really know.
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It's weird.
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It feels like we're yeah, I don't have a roadmap.
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Yeah, we're this is a new territory for you.
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We we don't talk about movies as much in this podcast.
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But I'll give you permission if at any point you decide to that we should stop talking about clean comedy.
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Yeah, if I black out and just start talking about Fast and Furious, I'll allow it.
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Yeah, I'll that I honestly would prefer it.
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I don't know if our listeners would.
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They probably came here to listen about Clean Comedy or the Clean Comedy Collective or just do you personally, but we'll give the people what they want.
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Yeah, uh Zach, we're so glad you're here.
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Yeah, good to be here, man.
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Thanks for having me.
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This is fun.
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Yeah, so you we alluded to a little bit ago.
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Uh you uh were you were living in Memphis, that's where you started your comedy journey, and then you moved here to Nashville.
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Um, I don't did we ever do comedy in Memphis at the same time?
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Like, were we ever because I also lived in Memphis for a little bit, well, around Memphis and didn't really I I don't think so.
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So I got started at like the end of 22, and I think you had already moved on to Nashville, and that's where we first met because I came to the JuicePal mic that you were one of the running that was like the the only clean mic that I was aware of in town.
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And uh yeah, I met you there.
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I think I had like maybe seen you before you probably had come to like an early version of the High Cotton Club when we had that going on.
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Um, so that was like the first time I saw you, but then met you at the JuicePal mic.
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And I remember uh because you were like, Yeah, I'm a comic from Memphis.
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So I was just far enough removed from Memphis where I was like, No, you're not, I would have known you already.
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Like it was very hard for me to process.
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Yeah.
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There are people from Memphis that I didn't know.
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No, that that was definitely like a feeling that I had when I got into comedy in Memphis because there was very much like a crop of comics who came up before I did.
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And oddly enough, I remember like going to open mics um as a spectator, you know, when I was doing theater, and I would watch those guys perform.
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And then like once I finally got into comedy, I I kind of had a little bit of a parasocial relationship with those comics because I had seen them perform, but like the longer I spent doing comedy in Memphis, the more I realized, like, yeah, there was there was an old guard of people who had either like gotten out of comedy or they were doing it like still but minimally, right?
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And like a couple of people who were still sticking to it.
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Um, and then you know, as as I started to come up, there were people who joined after me.
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And it's amazing how quickly, like for me, it was like three months into comedy.
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If someone just started, I was like, Well, you newbie, what are you doing trying to encroach on our territory?
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Like the the sense of tribalism, it it gets infected really quick.
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Yeah, I find.
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So you have a theater background and you ended up jumping into com so how did how did how did you get into comedy from theater?
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And then like why also it might be, and then like do you remember the first time you ever performed, where it was and what it was like?
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Yeah, I still remember it.
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Um so yeah, starting with theater, um, I that's what I went to school for, uh, fresh out of high school.
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I went to the University of Memphis and started pursuing a degree in theater and took a bit of a scenic route getting my degree, um, which means that I I did not get it in four years.
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Um, but yeah, I did theater around Memphis, uh, ended up working for the Tennessee Shakespeare Company, and then worked with them up until 2018, and then I left theater for a while uh and I started focusing on like building up um online brands and like digital media marketing, that kind of thing, just sort of training myself on a different skill set.
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And uh then around 2019, I was like, ah, yeah, you know, I kind of want to get back into performing.
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And I remember I auditioned for uh a play called Measure for Measure, which is a Shakespeare play, but it was being done on like a community theater level, and went in, had a good audition, it was fun, and they cast me in the role that I wanted to play, and uh rehearsals were supposed to start in March of 2020.
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So that didn't happen.
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And they were like, Oh, we're gonna do Zoom theater, and it just yeah, that that's the appropriate response.
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It sounded awful.
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Like Shakespeare's all about you know, performing live and you know, feeding off an audience, and the whole idea of being like reduced to Zoom performance, it just I I couldn't do it.
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So I left that, and then I um I worked on social media marketing and sort of like expanding like with different small businesses, helping out uh my family business, getting them set up online, and that turned out to be um very lucrative.
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But then in 222, that itch sort of came back, and I remember um at the time I was living with my now fiance at the time, girlfriend, and she was having a girls' night.
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So she was like, Oh, you you gotta get out of the house.
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So she gave me the option.
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She was like, I can put your Xbox in the back room, or you can go find something to do.
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I was like, I'll give you the house.
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I'm I'm not I'm not gonna just play Red Dead Redemption while y'all do girl talk.
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It sounds like a good night, though.
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I mean, like it yeah, in in retrospect, that could have been one of the good days.
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Um, but no, I I I got out of the house and I I went to the high-tone open mic.
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Um, and you know, I had I I've I've always been interested in stand-up comedy.
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I remember listening to like different uh comedians on Pandora, and I grew up, my dad, you know, he exposed me to like uh Sam Kinnison and George Carlin and Eddie Murphy.
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Um, and you know, I always had an appreciation for stand-up, so I knew it was something I wanted to try.
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So then when I went to the high tone, you know, I signed up and uh the list got very full very fast because I showed up on time.
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Don't do that.
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You you show up early, yeah.
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You show up early so you can go home on time.
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And uh yeah, I remember the first time I went up, I I just had like the the worst idea of what I was gonna do.
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I thought, oh, I'll try a funny accent.
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And I had this bit about microwaves that I thought was gonna be groundbreaking.
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I love it.
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I love it a lot.
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The whole idea was like, oh, microwaves, you know, why do I have to put time on them?
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Why are the microwaves moving in on the calendars game or the clocks game or whatever?
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Still terrible to this day.
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I've never tried to revive it.
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But uh yeah, I remember I went on stage and I'm doing the bit, and I just like I look up and the whole audience is just staring at me.
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And I the comic who had gone on before me was Richard Douglas Jones.
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He's good.
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He he yeah, he's dynamite, and he he I remember distinctly him fighting with the host because he was having such a good set, like arguing with him.
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Like, I'm not getting off this stage, I'm I'm giving these people what they came to see.
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So finally they get him off the stage.
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Which, by the way, as much as we love Richard, that is not great open mic etiquette.
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Like, don't do that.
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It's not, but he was again, he was doing well, and I I can't argue with that.
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So, so then the host, uh John Miller, he brings me on stage, and um I'm you know, do doing my terrible attempt at comedy, you know, a very theater kid killer microwave bit.
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My killer microwave bit.
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I'm I'm breaking ground, they're just all too stunned with how funny it is to laugh.
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And I hear from the back of the room, Zach, you're done.
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It's like three minutes in, I just got off the stage.
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And uh, yeah, that was my first open mic experience.
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So I I bombed.
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So you know what I always I'm always interested by this.
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Um, what made you be like, let me do that again?
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Great question.
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Um funny enough, an another comic who was on the scene, Topher Shaw, um, he he kind of pulled me aside, and I had met him before, like uh going to like um music shows or whatever, and he kind of told me, like, uh, you know, good stuff, uh, try shorter jokes.
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And he kind of walked me through like if you do like a setup punchline, you know, that that if you can get a laugh in the first 10 seconds, then they know to trust you so that they'll pay attention for the rest of the set.
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Because if you're not funny, if you know, if if if I'm an audience member and I'm paying attention for 30 seconds and I'm not laughing or I'm not if they're not leading me somewhere, then I'm gonna mentally check out.
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Oh, yeah.
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If you're gonna in the first 30 seconds, you could very easily be like, well, this person's not funny, and then you stop listening to the rest of it.
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Yeah.
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So even if you have a great killer joke that takes 45 seconds, maybe put that second in your set.
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Um, and yeah, once he told me that, you know, it it kind of made me go back to the drawing board and I wrote out some thoughts and tried to get them shorter.
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I I think uh um yeah, Merritt, my my now fiance, she she actually bought me like an online class for Second City um that was a stand-up class, and that kind of took me through like the basics of joke writing and understanding your perspective and understanding how to like win the audience over, that kind of thing.
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So once I had that, uh you know, that took about three months.
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Um, and it was a grind, like the you know, I st I've I still have recordings from some of my early sets, and it's hard to listen to because like it's a lot of silence.
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Yeah, um I always encourage newer comics to like after they do their uh first set, they like post it online, but like as a real and it's like but there's no laughter.
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I'm like, you could wait a little bit.
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Yeah, you know, wait till there it's a little bit more polished or something.
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But um, but yeah, once I once I got like the first few laughs and I knew like, oh, this is a joke.
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This is a joke that I can tell consistently that will get some kind of reaction, it will get some kind of laugh.
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Then it became like uh an exercise in okay, how do I make it better?
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How do I make one joke tie into the next?
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How do I like put together a set?
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How do I keep them engaged for five minutes?
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Because the the next hurdle that I found is I would do well, but I would get off stage before the light.
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And it was like I ran out of things to say, so I I didn't know how to be on stage and like keep the momentum going.
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So so then it became like, okay, how can I make a full set?
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How can I make a full five minutes that works consistently?
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And then from there, you know, it's it's the science of like still to this day.
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I think every comic still wants to like as soon as you get to one plateau of like, okay, I had them laughing for 20 of 30 seconds, how do I get to 25 of 30 seconds?
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Um, and you just expand that out and out and out, and then making sure like this joke worked for one room, but it didn't work for this room.
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Why?
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You know, right?
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So so yeah, now that's the most fun, fascinating part about the skill of comedy is like recognizing so many factors go into is it a good routine?
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Changing things up for different audiences or knowing where to put that joke or what words to cut out or the mannerisms of how to say I mean, yeah, there's just so much.
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Constant tinkering is is the addictive quality because once you know you can do it, then it's like, okay, how do I do this better?
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How do I and and you know, also having the freedom to like recognize like maybe my jokes are gonna work, but I might have to like abandon the game plan when I go into this room because they're already a hot room and I just gotta ride that wave for a little bit.
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And and that's kind of like the place I've gotten to now where a lot of my jokes, I I've written them, I've told them, they have gotten uh consistent laughs, but I'm trying to figure out how do I get to a more playful space where you know, so there's there's comics out there that could read the phone book and people are gonna laugh because they're just entertaining in their mannerisms.
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And I think like figuring out that playful space for your material is is like the kind of plateau that I'm chasing right now.
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Right.
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Someone told me a long time ago, but it stuck is like, you know, you're the entertainment, your jokes are just one of your tools.
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Like realizing that there is more to it than your written jokes, and um because I I have always I don't know if I'm scripted, but like I feel like I've always I I've never loved crowd work, I've never loved like just trying something off the cuff or whatever.
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Like I want to say what I'm comfortable in, what I think is funny.
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Yeah, but um I have over the years gotten a little bit more comfortable with you know, when I see a reaction to something playing into that a little bit.
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Yeah, absolutely.
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And I I think like for me, similar to that, I've I've again starting with that theater background, I was so rigid and so scripted in my approach.
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Like I knew these are the jokes that I say in this order, these are the words that I've spit out to like get a laugh reaction, but getting to a more playful space where you have a roadmap, you have a game plan of what you're trying to get to from beat to beat, but being okay to deviate from that, because one of the phrases that I've I've heard that I love is you don't do you do comedy with people, you don't do comedy at people.
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Yeah.
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Because even if you have killer jokes, you know, all throughout your set, if you just continue to just do them by rote and you're just an automaton, like doing joke after joke after joke, eventually the audience realizes like you're not really present up there, you're not with us in the room.
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So you I there there has to be a balance, I think, between like, okay, here are my jokes, but we're also gonna have fun.
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And and finding that that nice little mixture.
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And I think it's different for every comic.
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Some comics like George Carlin, he was syllable like down to the syllable of scripted and planned.
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And as an audience member, you just kind of have to strap in and go on the ride.
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And then there's other comics that are a little bit more interactive, where yeah, if there's an odd laugh in the room or if there's you know a weird reaction, they're gonna play off that.
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Yeah.
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Or directly asking, like, what do you do for work?
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You know, that that's the more raw form of crowd work.
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So at the end of the day, like whatever's gonna make the room laugh, that's what you want to go for.
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Yeah.
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And I I think a wisdom in in your story that uh comp especially newer comedians or people wanting to try comedy should benefit from is especially when it comes to open mics, like if you if you go up there and you bomb or you have a bad set or you're not satisfied with your set, like go come back next week.
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Do it again.
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Like there's nothing there's nothing wrong with bombing at open mics.
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I mean, it doesn't feel great.
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No, it doesn't feel good.
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And like if it's if it's weighing on your mental health, then yeah, you might want to like figure out something else different to do.
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Um, but yeah, that's what it's for.
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That's what you're you get better as you go, you know.
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Absolutely.
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Yeah.
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But yeah, you need to learn to correct the behaviors that are not working, otherwise you're never gonna get better.
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Because I feel like after you as it so for me, when when I get on stage on an open mic and I try new jokes and I bomb with them, there is a slight success to it because I'm like, okay, so now I know that doesn't work.
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Yeah.
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What what do I do to change that?
00:16:38.879 --> 00:16:45.519
Now there's a different story where someone bombs with the same jokes constantly and they never change it.
00:16:45.840 --> 00:16:55.519
That and and I've also seen the thing where like I think there's a lot of uh benefit in being able to discern why people are laughing.
00:16:55.679 --> 00:16:55.919
Yeah.
00:16:56.240 --> 00:16:59.120
Because sometimes people will laugh because they're uncomfortable.
00:16:59.279 --> 00:17:01.279
Like it right, you can or a pity laugh.
00:17:01.919 --> 00:17:03.440
A pity laugh, like, oh, that was bad.
00:17:03.519 --> 00:17:03.679
Yeah.
00:17:04.079 --> 00:17:04.960
I'm guilty of that.
00:17:05.039 --> 00:17:10.400
I for whatever reason I love seeing a train wreck happen at a mic, and I I feel bad.
00:17:10.960 --> 00:17:11.920
I'm I'm the same way.
00:17:12.000 --> 00:17:13.839
I don't want you to feel alone in that play.
00:17:14.000 --> 00:17:21.680
Yeah, I like I feel bad because I know I'm laughing, and I don't know sometimes if they can discern, like, oh, that was a right.
00:17:21.759 --> 00:17:24.319
They'll walk up and I killed that guy over there was laughing.
00:17:24.400 --> 00:17:26.160
So and it's like we not for the right reason.
00:17:26.400 --> 00:17:26.640
That's it.
00:17:26.720 --> 00:17:29.680
That's uh maybe that's an example of laughing at you and not with you, I guess.
00:17:30.000 --> 00:17:30.640
Yeah, yeah.
00:17:30.880 --> 00:17:38.240
I think a lot a lot of people doing comedy, they get very uncomfortable with silence and they they want to have some kind of reaction.
00:17:38.400 --> 00:17:48.160
So they'll just say something crazy because they know it's going to elicit some kind of response, and even that feels better than just dead silence, you know.
00:17:48.400 --> 00:18:01.200
So, so like being able to know what you want from them and want them like wanting being very clear about what you want them to laugh at about the joke, that that helps a lot.
00:18:01.279 --> 00:18:03.759
Um, and then you can gear what you're doing towards that.
00:18:03.839 --> 00:18:06.319
You can be like, okay, well, if that's what I want, then how do I get there?
00:18:06.480 --> 00:18:12.079
And then that's that's the whole skill of comedy, which is like you said, addictive and fun and part of the enjoyment of doing it.
00:18:12.240 --> 00:18:12.480
Yeah.
00:18:12.559 --> 00:18:15.039
Um, so so we're gonna shift yours a little bit.
00:18:15.200 --> 00:18:19.839
Um, you I love your social media, I love the videos.
00:18:19.920 --> 00:18:22.880
I love that's good, because a lot of the people in my comments really seem to hate it.
00:18:23.119 --> 00:18:25.519
I love reading the hate comments.
00:18:25.599 --> 00:18:29.359
Uh I I just it's just enjoyable because I love your reactions to it.
00:18:29.440 --> 00:18:33.440
And like uh, so for and and feel free, uh, I'm gonna have you help me with this.
00:18:33.599 --> 00:18:36.559
Uh tell them tell them about your social media, where to find you.
00:18:36.640 --> 00:18:42.000
And and if we we may do this later when we do the official plugs, but like uh that's good context for them.
00:18:42.079 --> 00:18:48.160
Uh tell us tell us a little bit about um you know what you do on your social, how'd you get into it?
00:18:48.240 --> 00:18:49.759
And I mean they're very successful.
00:18:49.839 --> 00:18:53.279
If you'll feel comfortable, let us know your numbers because um, yeah.
00:18:53.440 --> 00:18:59.039
Um so so social media, the the platforms I primarily deal with are TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook.
00:18:59.279 --> 00:19:14.799
Um I've posted a little bit on YouTube, but like YouTube Shorts, just because the the videos that I do, they're all under three minutes because after three minutes, uh Instagram will cut it off and you have to do separate reels, and that I don't want to I don't want to deal with that.
00:19:14.960 --> 00:19:34.160
Um so so I've I've used social media before, and when I before I got into comedy, I sort of studied social media as a marketing platform and how to use social media to get in touch with your audience and find people who are gonna respond to whatever it is you're selling.
00:19:34.240 --> 00:19:37.200
For me, it's uh jokes and ideas.
00:19:37.519 --> 00:19:51.200
Um and when I was, I guess it was November of 24, um, I I went to the Memphis Urban Laughs Comedy Festival and run by uh a great woman named Latoya.
00:19:51.440 --> 00:19:51.759
Yep.
00:19:52.000 --> 00:20:01.440
And she uh she had one of the like people to come in and speak to everyone who was attending the festival or being a part of it, and I forget her name, I would have to look that up.
00:20:01.839 --> 00:20:03.440
But I was at that same workshop as you.
00:20:03.680 --> 00:20:04.319
Yeah, you were there.
00:20:04.480 --> 00:20:04.799
I remember that.
00:20:04.880 --> 00:20:13.920
So I'm so so she she gave a whole class basically, lasted about an hour and a half on social media and how to establish your presence.
00:20:14.160 --> 00:20:23.759
And she like really hammered home the idea of like people are getting uh real legit opportunities off of social media.
00:20:24.000 --> 00:20:31.119
And I really think that's the medium nowadays, like more than television, more than uh anything else.
00:20:31.279 --> 00:20:51.920
Like, you know, 20, 30 years ago, I think the goal for comedy, or at least like the the well-worn path, was you do really well, you get booked on a show, maybe you get booked on like the tonight show or something, and then you get like uh a development deal, or you might get a sitcom or some something where you you get to the gate and then you talk to the gatekeepers, and then you're allowed to pass through.
00:20:52.160 --> 00:20:54.240
And all throughout that you're developing a following.
00:20:54.640 --> 00:21:01.920
Yeah, and and then once you're at a certain level, the the machine will sort of like push you out in front of a certain audience.
00:21:02.160 --> 00:21:11.359
Nowadays we have that on our phones, and the the gate is uh being on social media and being on the apps that people use.
00:21:11.519 --> 00:21:17.359
So wherever people are dedicating their attention, that's that's where you gotta be if you want to like climb the ladder.
00:21:17.680 --> 00:21:22.000
So she she kind of gave us a spiel all about that, and I really took it to heart.
00:21:22.079 --> 00:21:33.039
I, you know, after that festival was done, I really started to like be consistent about you know, opening up the phone, hit and record, and just saying whatever was on my mind.
00:21:33.279 --> 00:21:45.440
Of course, this was around uh November of 24, so this was around the election cycle, and I've always grown up admiring like the Daily Show with Jon Stewart and uh the Colbert rapport.
00:21:45.839 --> 00:21:52.640
So I think uh comedy with uh a political slant to it is not something that I've ever shied away from.
00:21:53.039 --> 00:21:57.039
Quite the opposite, I find myself more often than not going towards that.
00:21:57.599 --> 00:22:07.680
So for me, I I I tried to go on social media and work jokes or work ideas in that vehicle.
00:22:07.839 --> 00:22:24.559
Because sometimes, like and you've experienced this, I'm sure, um, most creatives have when you have an idea, if you work with different disciplines, whether it's music or painting or script writing or joke writing, sometimes you don't know what is the best articulation of that idea.
00:22:24.799 --> 00:22:25.200
That's right.
00:22:25.440 --> 00:22:32.000
For me, social media was a new way to articulate ideas that I couldn't really work on stage.
00:22:32.079 --> 00:22:34.400
It wouldn't, I don't think it would translate as well.
00:22:34.559 --> 00:22:44.079
Like being a one of the things that I like to do a lot is I'll do like a two-camera angle where I'll literally just switch back and forth between my two hands and it gives the appearance of a dialogue.
00:22:44.240 --> 00:22:55.839
Um, and that you know allows me to play two sides of a coin about any particular issue, and it uh it's provided like a way for me to again like explore ideas on social media.
00:22:56.000 --> 00:23:00.000
And you hit post, and you know, it's a roll of the dice every time.
00:23:00.079 --> 00:23:04.480
You know, sometimes videos they're gonna get 300 views and then stop flat.
00:23:04.720 --> 00:23:07.119
Other times something really takes off.
00:23:07.359 --> 00:23:10.880
And with consistency, you know, it's a numbers game.
00:23:10.960 --> 00:23:14.160
You're going to increase your chances of having something go off.
00:23:14.400 --> 00:23:20.480
So now, you know, I when I started, I I just used, you know, the Instagram account that I had been running for years.
00:23:20.640 --> 00:23:25.440
The I think I originally posted like paintings and stuff before I got into comedy and theater.
00:23:25.599 --> 00:23:41.839
Um I I did that when I started posting like aggressive comedy uh content, it eventually got I think like I don't I don't know what the first big one was, but it I I I take that back.
00:23:41.920 --> 00:23:53.119
It was a video commenting on the tariffs situation where I literally had like a video with the American flag over, and that was one side, and then the video with the Canadian flag and like them two reacting.
00:23:53.440 --> 00:24:00.319
And I posted it, didn't really think anything of it, because at that point I had been posting for maybe uh two, three months.
00:24:00.799 --> 00:24:08.240
And then within a day, like my account grew from like 1,500 followers to like 5,000 followers.
00:24:08.480 --> 00:24:09.599
That's awesome, yeah.
00:24:09.680 --> 00:24:11.839
And and that's that's the crazy thing about it.
00:24:11.920 --> 00:24:20.799
And like, you know, you see like celebrities that have been in movies and they're like resharing your thing and they have millions of followers, so then it just spreads like wildfire.
00:24:21.039 --> 00:24:32.319
And then from there, that kind of taught me like, okay, like here here's ideas that work, and here's formulas or formats that actually will work with repli replication and duplication.
00:24:32.559 --> 00:24:41.839
Um, so now I'm sitting at, I think I just crossed over like 41,000 on Instagram, I'm sitting at 25,000 on TikTok and 21,000 on Facebook.
00:24:41.920 --> 00:24:43.039
Yeah, which is incredible.
00:24:43.359 --> 00:24:46.400
Well, you know, and I mean I'm sure I'm relative to where I was.
00:24:46.480 --> 00:24:47.279
That's the other thing, too.
00:24:47.359 --> 00:24:53.680
Like I said about plateaus, like I I'll I'll run into other comics and they've got 100,000, 800,000 followers.
00:24:53.839 --> 00:25:01.920
So again, there's always like another mountaintop to achieve, but it like you don't recognize where you're standing until you look back and see where you started.
00:25:02.240 --> 00:25:08.240
And I think there's something about something I I'm big into like mental health with comedy, like there's not a lot of mental health in comedy.
00:25:08.480 --> 00:25:10.960
No one's advocating for I've yet to see a therapist comic.
00:25:11.200 --> 00:25:14.240
So so they well, I'm big when I talk to comedians.
00:25:14.319 --> 00:25:17.519
Like, I don't think I get on stage and like, hey, this is something we should all talk about.
00:25:17.599 --> 00:25:18.400
Let's make jokes about it.
00:25:18.559 --> 00:25:22.720
But like I do think as comedians, we're sometimes our biggest critics.
00:25:22.880 --> 00:25:34.640
Like, we don't appreciate that you grew in 5,000 followers in one video because you in your head you see what other people have of bigger followings, and you're like, well, that's where I want to be, which is healthy and good to want to get grow.
00:25:34.799 --> 00:25:39.759
But like it's it's the balance between um your aspirations and being content.
00:25:39.920 --> 00:25:40.079
Yeah.
00:25:40.240 --> 00:25:42.160
Because if you're just content all the time, you're not gonna grow.
00:25:42.240 --> 00:25:42.480
Yeah.
00:25:42.640 --> 00:25:48.960
But if you're always banging your head against the wall of like, I have to be more, then you won't appreciate where you're where you're at.
00:25:49.200 --> 00:25:49.440
Right.
00:25:49.519 --> 00:25:52.960
And then you'll drive yourself crazy, and and um, which is not good.
00:25:53.039 --> 00:25:59.920
Um I hope people that listen to this appre uh appreciate the amount of work that you put into that, right?
00:26:00.160 --> 00:26:16.960
Because uh, we hear all the time in in comedy, and you you hear critics or other comedians who feel like they're not where they want to be, and they'll be like, oh, that person just got lucky with social media, or like they but like I've known and I and I used to be someone who's like, Man, I just need to get lucky with I just need one video to take off and whatever.
00:26:17.039 --> 00:26:27.920
Yeah, but and and there is like you said, there is a degree of luck, there is a rolling the dice, but before you're getting to that point, you're filming the video, you're posting the video, you have a schedule, you have a plan.
00:26:28.079 --> 00:26:30.720
How often do you post a day, if you don't mind me asking?
00:26:31.039 --> 00:26:37.839
Um, so right now I'm posting anywhere from two to three times a day.
00:26:38.079 --> 00:26:49.039
And sometimes, like some days, you know, I posted once today, and I I sometimes you just don't have it, like you don't have like the creative oomph to to to articulate something.
00:26:49.279 --> 00:27:08.960
Other times there's you don't don't feel like there's anything worth talking about, so you know you take days off, but um it was probably around March of this year I uh I had a video really take off, and it was just after I had gotten monetized on social media, and that that for me was motivation too, like okay, well now I have to post.
00:27:09.200 --> 00:27:13.759
Well, it's a it's a double-edged sword because on the one hand, yeah, it is a motivator.
00:27:13.920 --> 00:27:21.920
Like in in uh in the spring of this year, I had one month where I made like 1600 on Facebook and I made another$400 on TikTok.
00:27:22.000 --> 00:27:22.880
So that was rent.
00:27:23.039 --> 00:27:24.720
That was rent knocked out for a month.
00:27:24.880 --> 00:27:26.480
Like that's a great motivator.
00:27:26.640 --> 00:27:35.839
But on the other hand, you you run the risk like of getting tunnel vision, and you just feel like, oh, I have to post about something.
00:27:36.000 --> 00:27:37.519
Oh, that video didn't get views.
00:27:37.599 --> 00:27:39.440
All right, I need to do something crazier in the next video.
00:27:39.519 --> 00:27:41.200
I need to like, you know, yeah.
00:27:41.519 --> 00:27:53.599
The the it's very easy to lose sight of the goal, which is to express yourself and hopefully find people who are aligned with your audience in, you know, becoming like a clout chaser.
00:27:53.759 --> 00:28:12.319
Like I remember when I first saw, you know, that deposit into my bank account from social media posting, I understood clout chasers in a heartbeat because it's like, oh, you you get addicted not only to the attention and the engagement and people reacting to something you said, but there's also a paycheck attached to it.
00:28:12.720 --> 00:28:13.119
Yeah, yeah.
00:28:13.200 --> 00:28:14.640
Like you said, that's a rent paycheck.
00:28:14.720 --> 00:28:15.440
That's fantastic.
00:28:15.680 --> 00:28:16.000
Yeah.
00:28:16.240 --> 00:28:30.240
And so, you know, if you're not careful, I think it's very easy to like lose yourself into I'm just gonna do whatever's gonna get a reaction, I'm gonna rage bait, I'm gonna do, you know, whatever I can to try to get people to interact with my video.
00:28:30.480 --> 00:28:38.559
Because in in a lot of ways, social media is geared towards uh virality and people reacting.
00:28:38.720 --> 00:28:43.359
So if someone's commenting, ah, you suck in the comments, that's engagement.
00:28:43.440 --> 00:28:50.000
Yeah, you know, and and I think Facebook probably incentivizes that more than someone being like, that was a good video.
00:28:50.160 --> 00:28:50.480
Right.
00:28:50.640 --> 00:29:05.599
You know, so so you have to be careful in your dance with the machine now, like similar to the gatekeepers of old, you have to be careful with how you interact with this this technology because it's it's it will swallow you whole if you're not careful.
00:29:05.839 --> 00:29:06.079
Yeah.
00:29:06.319 --> 00:29:14.480
Um, have you thought about like your end game for comedy, like what you really want uh to accomplish with entertainment and like where you want to go, where you want to be.
00:29:14.720 --> 00:29:32.640
If if everything works according to plan, what's the I I mean right now I'm I'm at a place where I probably have you know 25 to 30 minutes that I I feel like I could get through that amount of time and not feel like I'm sputtering on stage.
00:29:32.880 --> 00:29:43.839
Um, so that's that's been the goal for like the for the most like the past four years is trying to get to a point where I'm competent and I can be on stage for an extended amount of time and be funny.
00:29:44.000 --> 00:29:56.960
Um beyond that, like the longer term goals, like on the one hand, you have like touring, like going around the country, going to different clubs and you know, entertaining different audiences every night.
00:29:57.119 --> 00:30:15.119
I've also heard a lot of comics who are in that position, they talk about ah, the road, you know, it's it's a lonely life, and you know, it's it's uh it's very demanding, and invariably they always seem to talk about how much your personal life uh gets traded off for that.
00:30:15.359 --> 00:30:22.799
So, you know, I'm in a position, you know, I've been with my my my fiance now for like eight years, and we have aspirations, you know.
00:30:22.880 --> 00:30:31.359
Obviously, we're we're trying to plan a wedding, and we've we've talked about, you know, we we want to have uh a good life, you know, we want to be there for each other.
00:30:31.680 --> 00:30:42.000
So my options there are to A, take her on the road with me, or B, be gone for a significant portion of the time uh if I'm that touring comic.
00:30:42.160 --> 00:30:44.319
So like that's kind of the pullback.
00:30:44.480 --> 00:30:53.920
Like, I I would love if I'd be presented with that conflict of like, all right, you got to choose do you want a home life or do you want uh to to be on the road?
00:30:54.079 --> 00:31:04.799
Um, but you know, if if that doesn't work, then I would love to see myself in more of like a comedic acting role where that's something I can kind of see like a little bit more balance more.
00:31:04.960 --> 00:31:07.279
Yeah, and you you have the skill set for it too.
00:31:07.359 --> 00:31:10.000
Like I feel like you have the training, you have the I'd like to think so.
00:31:10.640 --> 00:31:18.400
Yeah, like I I have the theater background, you know, a lot of comedians they start off doing stand-up comedy and then they get into acting, and that can work.
00:31:18.559 --> 00:31:27.200
Um, but I already have this theater training that like I I know how to be in a scene, I know how to take on different roles and different characters and different intentions.
00:31:27.440 --> 00:31:29.440
So I feel like I could play that.
00:31:29.599 --> 00:31:36.720
Um, but that's also like that's that removes the independence of comedy.
00:31:36.880 --> 00:31:39.039
Because in comedy, it's just you, you know.
00:31:39.200 --> 00:31:44.559
If you're if you're a touring comic and you have a sound system, you can do shows literally anywhere.
00:31:44.640 --> 00:31:47.359
You can just show up, plug in a microphone, and go.
00:31:47.519 --> 00:31:55.680
Like you're not reliant on other people, versus if you're on like a production, if you're doing like comedic, even in a stage play, right?
00:31:55.759 --> 00:31:58.880
You know, you have cast members, you have directors, you have designers.
00:31:59.119 --> 00:32:22.000
If you're in a production, then you're adherent to like, you know, and scene, you know, you you have to be reliant on other people, which I'm always fond of working with collectives, so I'm not really worried about that as much, but that I've been doing comedy now for four years, and I just haven't dedicated time to like uh film or or stage production.
00:32:22.240 --> 00:32:24.640
I mean, shift gears, um, I've told you this before.
00:32:24.799 --> 00:32:26.960
I am very impressed with your joke writing.
00:32:27.359 --> 00:32:31.519
And uh, and I mean this as a compliment, although I think this is the weirdest compliment to get.
00:32:31.680 --> 00:32:36.000
Like, it's been so cool to see you improve over the few years that I've known you.
00:32:36.160 --> 00:32:43.359
Um when you first started, uh you had clever puns, but that was like kind of your thing, you know?
00:32:43.599 --> 00:32:43.839
Right.
00:32:44.079 --> 00:32:51.519
So and now you now you do have jokes about issues, social issues, and then you you f turn and find a way to make it entertaining.
00:32:51.759 --> 00:32:57.279
And then my favorite is when you have jokes about so social issues that also involve puns.
00:32:57.359 --> 00:33:07.200
Uh you have a bit, I don't know if I'll be able to find it to put it on here for people to hear where uh you talk about like opening a uh a roll uh Oh yeah, the the gender roles bit.
00:33:07.440 --> 00:33:09.359
I thought that was that's that's one of my favorite bits.
00:33:09.440 --> 00:33:11.200
I kind of forget about it until till I hear it.
00:33:11.279 --> 00:33:12.319
I'm like, that's a good bit.
00:33:12.559 --> 00:33:13.759
Yeah, no, I like that one.
00:33:13.839 --> 00:33:14.960
It's still one of my favorites.
00:33:15.119 --> 00:33:25.200
Um so so is the question like how Yeah, so just talk about your joke writing process because that that that's uh an area you're a good writer, so I'd love to hear kind of Yeah.
00:33:25.279 --> 00:33:32.000
So like um, like you say, like I think the the first thing that I I sort of learned how to put together was the setup punchline.
00:33:32.240 --> 00:33:36.000
And to me, a punchline was just a pun and it was very rudimentary.
00:33:36.160 --> 00:33:45.440
It was like something clever, something that you know could could be construed either way, or or you know, something that kind of made the brain do a little mental glitch.
00:33:45.920 --> 00:33:57.759
Um, and that was I kind of stayed in that pocket for a long time because I didn't really know how to string together ideas, and so I would just do setup punchline, setup, punchline, setup, punchline.
00:33:57.920 --> 00:34:01.200
And it was a very um sort of early style of comedy.
00:34:01.440 --> 00:34:11.119
And then as I developed more, like I over time, you know, you you learn, okay, I have a joke about driving and I have a joke about GPS.
00:34:11.360 --> 00:34:13.440
I know these two ideas are related.
00:34:13.599 --> 00:34:17.679
Let me work on the connective tissue to sort of bring the two together.
00:34:17.840 --> 00:34:25.440
And that ends up being, you know, that turns two 30-second jokes into a minute and a half because you find that connective tissue.
00:34:25.599 --> 00:34:36.880
So, so yeah, over time, I think it just it got to a point where I in my joke writing, I was I was uh limited because my jokes were so short.
00:34:37.119 --> 00:34:45.360
And I could do like seven jokes in you know, five minutes, but that would be it, and I wouldn't have anything left to say.
00:34:45.599 --> 00:34:57.679
So, so now like I said earlier, I'm I'm trying to get to that place where I'm a little bit more playful, and the jokes that I'm saying, they kind of set up, you know, some kind of interaction with the audience or some kind of reaction that I can play off of.
00:34:57.920 --> 00:35:10.800
Um, and you know, you you're always like going through your brain of like trying to rack, okay, what are some experiences that I've had that are worth talking about, uh, whether it's anecdotes or you know, uh observances that you've made.
00:35:11.039 --> 00:35:21.199
Um I I I had I think it was like the hunting versus fishing bit that I wrote back in 23 when I was going to the juice pal mic.
00:35:21.440 --> 00:35:29.039
I remember um I had a uh a thought and it was a good point, but it wasn't a good joke yet.
00:35:29.199 --> 00:35:41.280
And I remember in a week, you know, I that I was really taking advantage of like going to the mics every single night of the week and like tinkering with it and playing with the joke, and it evolved from being like, here's a clever observation.
00:35:41.679 --> 00:35:44.880
Now, how do I word this so that it becomes a joke?
00:35:45.039 --> 00:35:56.719
And I remember it was at JuicePow because I had been working, I'd wrote the joke on like a Sunday, and I worked it Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and I had been working it, working it, working it, but it was still in that rigid form.
00:35:56.880 --> 00:36:02.239
And I remember Thursday night before I went up at JuicePowl, I was like in my head, just like, just tell the joke.
00:36:02.320 --> 00:36:07.280
Yeah, like don't feel like you have to say it word perfect, don't be script with it.
00:36:07.440 --> 00:36:09.760
Um, like just tell the joke.
00:36:10.000 --> 00:36:16.239
And it worked because I wasn't like thinking in my head of like, oh, I got to say this part next.
00:36:16.480 --> 00:36:27.119
Like instead, I was just in that sort of flow state for a minute of like, I know where I'm going with this, let me find the wording on the You were the entertainment, you knew like I know the entertaining part, and now I'm gonna share it.
00:36:27.360 --> 00:36:48.400
Yeah, so so I think now like that's been the most comfortable form of joke writing is like if if you have an observation that you feel is is valid or something that's you know a stone that hasn't been turned over a whole lot, you know, finding what is your point, and you should be able to articulate that in one sentence.
00:36:48.559 --> 00:36:48.880
Yeah.
00:36:49.039 --> 00:36:53.280
Um, being able to like take that point and make it funny.
00:36:53.440 --> 00:37:05.119
And the other thing, too, that I've I've learned to dial in on is when I first started out, I was so exposition heavy in my joke writing because I felt I had to explain everything and spoon feed it to the audience.
00:37:05.280 --> 00:37:12.159
The audience is smarter than you give them credit for, like they will follow you along if you are specific in your thought and you know what you're saying.
00:37:12.400 --> 00:37:24.880
So, so the technique I would use is a page paragraph punchline where if I had a joke or a thought I wanted to explore, I would write out everything that I could and like fill up the page with everything that I could talk about for that subject.
00:37:25.039 --> 00:37:31.280
And then I would read it through a few times and then I would go through a pen and like mark out everything, all the trim the fat, they call it.
00:37:31.440 --> 00:37:34.159
And I would try to get that whole joke down to a paragraph.
00:37:34.239 --> 00:37:41.280
And then like it's in its stage where I can kind of talk about it on stage, I can explore this idea, figure out what works and what doesn't.
00:37:41.440 --> 00:37:48.800
After I've done that for a few times, then once I know what the funny part of the joke is, what gets a reaction from people, then it's punchline.
00:37:48.960 --> 00:37:52.400
I'm trying to get that joke down to a setup punchline format.
00:37:52.559 --> 00:37:52.800
Yeah.
00:37:53.039 --> 00:37:56.159
Where here's here's the premise, here's what's funny.
00:37:56.400 --> 00:38:00.239
And if I can get it down to that, then I know it's a good joke.
00:38:00.400 --> 00:38:02.239
Like I know it's compact.
00:38:02.320 --> 00:38:04.400
You know, you you have to think of it like an elevator pitch.
00:38:04.480 --> 00:38:13.679
You know, if you have a minute to be funny, you you you want you don't you don't want to spend all day talking about like, oh, well, here I drive a truck and here's what a truck is.
00:38:13.760 --> 00:38:17.199
You know, you you gotta like jump to it because you will lose audiences.
00:38:17.440 --> 00:38:17.599
Yeah.
00:38:17.760 --> 00:38:29.199
I know for me when I'm putting together a set or like when I'm putting together like a special, it's like I spend the the majority of my uh anxiety and nerves about that is like what's my opening joke gonna be?
00:38:29.360 --> 00:38:31.599
That's because in my mind, that's like the most important.
00:38:31.679 --> 00:38:33.360
That's like Yeah, it sets the tone.
00:38:33.679 --> 00:38:36.719
Like I usually it takes me less time to figure out what my closing bit is.
00:38:37.199 --> 00:38:40.719
Because even though that's kind of also that's like your big, you know, hurrah.
00:38:40.880 --> 00:38:44.159
Like for me, the stress comes down to like what's that first joke you're gonna do?
00:38:44.559 --> 00:38:50.079
So let me ask, do you do you like reverse engineer like if you know your closing joke is gonna be this one?
00:38:50.320 --> 00:38:55.280
Do you sort of like, all right, well, I want to put this joke before that one, I'll put up this joke before that one.
00:38:55.519 --> 00:39:05.840
Um kind of it normally uh yeah, well, so you you do start I do start putting things together that match and uh hopefully it goes in a linear form to by the time it gets to the closing.
00:39:05.920 --> 00:39:06.239
Yeah.
00:39:06.400 --> 00:39:12.320
Um, but in the in the previous routines, it hasn't been all formed around the closing bit.
00:39:12.559 --> 00:39:12.800
Okay.
00:39:12.960 --> 00:39:27.519
Um it's been that's that's kind of the phase I'm in right now of trying to look at those longer sets and figure out all right, I have this much material, but it's figuring out the order of events to like coherently get through that amount of time.
00:39:27.840 --> 00:39:44.719
My my first one was easy because uh in that um everything it was called revolutionizing failure, and everything I talked about was like how um how like I would I would say it's self-deprecating, I would talk about a quality of myself and I make fun of it.
00:39:44.800 --> 00:39:47.280
And the last joke was always like, but here's when it's come in handy.
00:39:48.000 --> 00:39:48.960
Okay, so that's the term.
00:39:49.199 --> 00:39:49.440
Yep.
00:39:49.519 --> 00:40:01.360
And then I was able to um with that particular group of 30-minute jokes, I was able to at the end you know, kind of reference all the different things I had said and then wrap it up in my closing joke.
00:40:02.159 --> 00:40:05.519
So that one was nice because like it didn't matter what order I did it in.
00:40:05.679 --> 00:40:06.639
Um I could work.
00:40:07.360 --> 00:40:15.920
I feel like with a long set like that, you almost kind of have to like have a formula or a callback that that sort of like, like you say, wraps a nice button around the whole thing.
00:40:16.239 --> 00:40:18.079
For me, I usually have a theme around it.
00:40:18.159 --> 00:40:38.480
Uh and and it's not um, although my my last one, which was an hour, I finally looked at it and I was like, I like the other two, I felt like I was giving people a message by the like I was like, oh, this is like the first one was talking about like care loving yourself no matter what your flaws are, accepting the second one was really just me sharing my story of transitioning from full-time ministry to into full-time comedy.
00:40:38.880 --> 00:40:44.239
Um, and then the third one, which was the longest one, I I kept looking at it, be like, I don't know what I'm trying to tell.
00:40:44.320 --> 00:40:46.159
I'm just entertaining these are just jokes.
00:40:46.320 --> 00:40:47.440
These are yeah, so yeah.
00:40:47.599 --> 00:40:50.320
Maybe, maybe the overall thing because it's called actually funny.
00:40:50.480 --> 00:40:51.840
Maybe I was like, no, this one's good.
00:40:51.920 --> 00:40:54.559
Like this one will actually make you laugh.
00:40:54.719 --> 00:40:55.199
I don't know.
00:40:55.360 --> 00:41:04.960
Um, but yeah, so no, uh for me it's very helpful though the way I structure my longer routines is because you know, you have all these bits, you have all these routines.
00:41:05.119 --> 00:41:08.079
Uh the last joke always leads into my next joke.
00:41:08.719 --> 00:41:10.559
Okay, so there's always a transition, yeah.
00:41:10.800 --> 00:41:14.800
So and that helps me keep the memory of it, like keep it in memorized.
00:41:14.880 --> 00:41:27.280
Um, so like if I'm you know, I might do my youth pastor bit, um, and then uh that the then the last joke then it might lead me to talk about food starting with my Chick-fil-A jokes, because I think like youth pastor, Chick-fil-A, whatever.
00:41:27.519 --> 00:41:38.000
But then my doing all these jokes about how much I love eating or awkward food experiences, maybe it leads me to do jokes about like I have jokes about like how I'm a little bit bigger, like a little like so I have my fat jokes, and then and then that might lead.
00:41:38.079 --> 00:41:47.440
I might talk, I have a lot of different appearance related jokes, and so after doing fat jokes I can hit those, and then you know, so uh yeah, it's it that's that's how I remember things.
00:41:47.840 --> 00:41:48.800
Yeah, grouping ideas.
00:41:49.199 --> 00:41:49.360
Okay.
00:41:49.920 --> 00:41:59.039
Um, okay, so we uh I've asked you so many questions and I appreciate your answer then them, but now we're gonna enter the Ask a Comedian section of the podcast, which is Oh yeah, these are where I chose the numbers.
00:41:59.280 --> 00:42:02.000
Yeah, these yeah, you chose the numbers earlier uh for everyone listening.
00:42:02.079 --> 00:42:03.679
Uh first of all, thank you for still listening.
00:42:03.760 --> 00:42:04.639
You're here and we love it.
00:42:04.719 --> 00:42:05.440
We appreciate you.
00:42:05.599 --> 00:42:09.920
I I don't know if other podcasts do that, but usually in the middle of my podcast, I'm just like, hey, thanks for still being here.
00:42:10.239 --> 00:42:10.639
Yeah, yeah.
00:42:10.719 --> 00:42:13.760
I think it's good to ingratiate yourself with the listeners, let them know they're appreciated.
00:42:14.000 --> 00:42:15.360
We we love that you're still here.
00:42:15.519 --> 00:42:20.239
Um and uh we so the way it works is uh I'm gonna read a few questions.
00:42:20.320 --> 00:42:24.960
Uh uh Zach has picked numbers which dictated which questions I'm gonna ask before the podcast.
00:42:25.199 --> 00:42:35.280
And these are all questions that have been sent by viewers, listeners um on my own social media at Drew Davis Comedy on Threads and Instagram, and then also on my Facebook page, uh Facebook.com slash Drew Davis.
00:42:35.679 --> 00:42:37.280
And these are just general questions they send in.
00:42:37.360 --> 00:42:41.280
Um so yeah, so they I just tell them ask a comedian, ask any question you want.
00:42:41.360 --> 00:42:45.119
Um most of the times they have to deal with comedy.
00:42:45.280 --> 00:42:45.920
There has been a few.
00:42:46.239 --> 00:42:46.880
Other times they don't.
00:42:46.960 --> 00:42:51.039
They they don't do they do the if they don't win, do they get uh put into the next round?
00:42:51.199 --> 00:42:52.000
Oh yeah, absolutely.
00:42:52.079 --> 00:42:55.119
I just keep a list going and I just Because you said what, 38 questions?
00:42:56.000 --> 00:42:57.119
That was a very specific number.
00:42:57.360 --> 00:43:02.000
So yeah, so now it's you know 35 for the next send send Drew more questions.
00:43:02.079 --> 00:43:03.440
We need to get that number up to 50.
00:43:03.679 --> 00:43:07.119
I do, I do uh when it starts getting low, I'll I'll I'll uh ask you.
00:43:07.280 --> 00:43:08.000
You'll do a few write-ins.
00:43:08.559 --> 00:43:10.239
Once I write questions.
00:43:10.320 --> 00:43:11.280
This is what I want to know.
00:43:11.519 --> 00:43:15.360
About once a month I post my things, and I'm like, hey, send me more questions.
00:43:15.519 --> 00:43:20.000
But just so you all know, you can just shoot us a message with a question if you have one.
00:43:20.159 --> 00:43:26.239
In any no matter how you're listening to this podcast, there's a send mail option and it will send us a comment where you can ask a question.
00:43:26.400 --> 00:43:29.039
If you're on YouTube, it's a little bit easier to just drop a comment.
00:43:29.199 --> 00:43:36.880
Um, I've had people just email me questions before, so feel free to just, you know, if you know me, you can ask me and I'll write it down on my phone app, you know.
00:43:36.960 --> 00:43:41.679
So um okay, so this uh first question came from Joe Hoftwell on Facebook.
00:43:41.760 --> 00:43:43.199
He's uh he's a fellow comedian.
00:43:43.519 --> 00:43:48.960
And he said, uh, what's your best advice for a new comic who wants to work clean?
00:43:49.280 --> 00:43:50.719
Oh, who wants to work clean.
00:43:50.960 --> 00:43:54.480
I think it's funny that we haven't talked much about clean comedy in the clean comedy chat.
00:43:54.719 --> 00:43:55.519
I mean, I feel bad.
00:43:55.599 --> 00:43:58.320
Like I I know this is part of your like your clean comedy collective.
00:43:58.559 --> 00:44:01.440
I don't know that my Definitely not political stuff is clean.
00:44:01.519 --> 00:44:02.639
I've been told that before.
00:44:03.119 --> 00:44:06.480
I would, I would, um, I would push back on that a little bit.
00:44:06.639 --> 00:44:06.800
Yeah.
00:44:06.960 --> 00:44:07.119
Yeah.
00:44:07.199 --> 00:44:08.079
So here's my opinion.
00:44:08.159 --> 00:44:09.199
Oh, I have heard that too.
00:44:09.280 --> 00:44:14.159
I've heard like because part of sometimes people say like avoid controversial things.
00:44:14.320 --> 00:44:16.079
So religion, race, political.
00:44:16.480 --> 00:44:17.519
Anything that's gonna upset someone.
00:44:17.840 --> 00:44:18.000
Right.
00:44:18.079 --> 00:44:27.280
So um it's but here's the thing, um depending on your audience, those people not might not be offended by your political joke.
00:44:27.599 --> 00:44:30.719
To me, not uh to me, clean comedy is non-offensive comedy.
00:44:31.360 --> 00:44:38.960
So, like, for example, I worked with a client one time who was getting ready to do jokes for like he worked, he was doing jokes at like a Republican conference.
00:44:39.360 --> 00:44:44.079
So, like all of his Republican jokes they're gonna be great.
00:44:44.320 --> 00:44:45.280
You gotta read the room, yeah.
00:44:45.440 --> 00:44:52.880
Yeah, uh it was it was weird because I'm I I I'm real I'm not dem I'm not a Democrat, but I feel like I'm really not a Republican.
00:44:52.960 --> 00:44:53.920
Like, I feel like I'm not either.
00:44:54.400 --> 00:44:56.559
Yeah, I feel like you lay more liberal and progressive.
00:44:56.880 --> 00:45:03.599
So like I'm sitting here trying to help him with these jokes, and I'm like, ugh, I hate this, but like here's a here's how they're gonna eat it up.
00:45:04.559 --> 00:45:09.119
And so, but in that case, his political jokes were not offensive at all.
00:45:09.280 --> 00:45:10.239
Totally the room for it.
00:45:10.320 --> 00:45:13.920
I mean, it's literally a polit political, you know, event.
00:45:14.159 --> 00:45:14.480
Yeah.
00:45:14.639 --> 00:45:23.280
And like, or maybe you go to a church that leans more conservative and it's a church, a church clean show, but like they are gonna all love those kind of jokes, you know.
00:45:23.360 --> 00:45:23.519
Yeah.
00:45:23.679 --> 00:45:27.599
So is it goes back to knowing your audience and knowing, you know?
00:45:28.079 --> 00:45:30.000
Yeah, I guess that's the best way to answer.
00:45:30.079 --> 00:45:31.599
Like, if uh what's his Joe?
00:45:31.840 --> 00:45:32.320
Joe, yeah.
00:45:32.480 --> 00:45:32.639
Joe.
00:45:32.800 --> 00:45:40.559
So Joe, I would say like the the biggest thing is comedy like cleanliness in comedy is very subjective.
00:45:40.719 --> 00:45:48.480
Like not everyone's gonna find the same joke offensive, not everyone's gonna find like be, you know, torn apart, uh offended by a joke.
00:45:48.639 --> 00:45:53.039
So if you want to like do clean comedy, then do that.
00:45:53.199 --> 00:46:00.559
Like uh, like I said earlier, you know, it's very easy to say something shocking to get a reaction, like shock humor.
00:46:00.639 --> 00:46:04.880
That's that's out there, and there are some people that uh build a career off of it.
00:46:04.960 --> 00:46:07.679
So like you can't knock it because some people are willing to pay for it.
00:46:07.840 --> 00:46:08.159
Absolutely.
00:46:08.400 --> 00:46:17.679
Um, that being said, you know, if your goal is to do comedy and not offend anyone, uh good luck.
00:46:17.920 --> 00:46:25.679
Um but I would start with like uh things like I think a lot of comedy comes from frustration.
00:46:25.840 --> 00:46:35.039
Like you you you have an issue or something that you you're up against, you can't like uh you you can't control it, so you you want to talk about it and share it.
00:46:35.119 --> 00:46:37.199
That's that's that's a universal feeling.
00:46:37.519 --> 00:46:53.840
So rather than try to like uh personify that frustration and point it at, I don't like this group or I don't like this thing, make it um make it something like you know, being stuck in traffic or something that we've all dealt with that no one likes.
00:46:54.000 --> 00:46:57.039
And if you can't, you know, dial in on that, do puns.
00:46:57.280 --> 00:46:59.440
You know, puns are always there, puns are your friend.
00:46:59.599 --> 00:47:00.239
Yeah, I love that.
00:47:00.480 --> 00:47:02.000
When all fellas do a good pun.
00:47:02.320 --> 00:47:03.679
Yeah, that's that's my recipe.
00:47:03.920 --> 00:47:04.960
All right, so cool.
00:47:05.280 --> 00:47:08.320
This question came from Threads from Jay Amaki.
00:47:08.960 --> 00:47:17.039
Um actually, we were kind of just talking about this, and I I feel like I shared my style of organization, but maybe you can share more about your own.
00:47:17.199 --> 00:47:22.880
Uh, how do you organize and um memorize your material?
00:47:23.440 --> 00:47:36.159
Um, so organization, uh, like I said, is like where if you have a joke and you've written out the joke um and it's standing on its own, figure out what I am talking about.
00:47:36.400 --> 00:47:37.920
And you know, it could be anything.
00:47:38.079 --> 00:47:43.039
It could be, you know, cooking a meal, it could be good walking your dog or relationships.
00:47:43.199 --> 00:47:47.679
I feel like there's there's a few topics that often get covered in comedy.
00:47:47.760 --> 00:47:54.800
Um, relationships is one, um, religion is a big one, uh, politics or political leanings.
00:47:54.960 --> 00:48:00.960
Like, again, though those aren't really clean topics per se, um, but you can have a clean take on any of those.
00:48:01.280 --> 00:48:09.119
So as far as how you organize your bits, you know, figure out which jokes are the same shade, are the same uh palette.
00:48:09.679 --> 00:48:16.880
And once you know, like, oh, I've got two or three jokes about driving, well, figure out how to like word those together.
00:48:17.039 --> 00:48:26.480
Figure out, yeah, you know, one one about starting your car up, one about working on your car, or go into the mechanic, you know, that's three different topics, but they're all automobile related.
00:48:26.639 --> 00:48:36.800
And if you just add like one sentence in between the punchline and the setup of those jokes, then you can get the audience to go on board uh between topics.
00:48:37.039 --> 00:48:42.559
Um, as far as how to memorize your material, I mean, it's good to write things out.
00:48:42.719 --> 00:48:52.880
I have I have learned that you don't want to write it out word for word like you would, like if you were saying it on stage, because then you'll get tripped up trying to say it word perfect.
00:48:53.119 --> 00:49:03.519
Instead, you can write like headlines or bullet points um to get you through the thoughts that like set up, deliver the punchline, and add a tag.
00:49:03.920 --> 00:49:09.119
And then um I really I'm I'm I'm more of an auditory learner.
00:49:09.360 --> 00:49:14.639
So for me, if I have a new joke that I'm trying out, I will probably take my phone.
00:49:14.719 --> 00:49:17.920
I'll always I'm always recording my sets, uh audio.
00:49:18.079 --> 00:49:25.440
Um if I'll I'll try to get through it as best I can on stage, and you know, I might look at my notes just to sort of like get through it.
00:49:25.519 --> 00:49:34.559
But then once I have it record it, I have a recording of my voice saying it, then and I can record like know where the audience reacted to it or where they fell off completely.
00:49:35.119 --> 00:49:39.440
And once I can listen to that, then that gets lodged in my brain a lot quicker.
00:49:39.599 --> 00:49:39.760
Yeah.
00:49:39.920 --> 00:49:43.599
So uh repetition, that's that's the most sincere thing.
00:49:43.840 --> 00:49:50.800
And it also I feel like the more you do it, the more you learn how you learn, the more you figure out what works for you as you're doing it.
00:49:50.880 --> 00:49:51.039
Yeah.
00:49:51.199 --> 00:49:57.280
Um, and I thought about something when you're talking about like organizing material and finding uh similar jokes to put together in like a bit.
00:49:57.519 --> 00:50:06.880
Sometimes the more you do it, like you might do a you might have a bit and maybe maybe you try it for a few weeks and you're like, ah, whatever, it's it's not really going great or whatever.
00:50:07.039 --> 00:50:16.079
And then like years later, you write a different bit, and then you think, I think I had a joke from years ago that would fit that.
00:50:16.239 --> 00:50:19.440
And then you take something from many years ago and you put it in.
00:50:19.599 --> 00:50:22.159
So like yeah, for me, like tease it up a little bit better.
00:50:22.400 --> 00:50:25.039
For me, when I first started, I had jokes about Kesha.
00:50:25.760 --> 00:50:27.840
Um and like real topical.
00:50:27.920 --> 00:50:28.639
Yeah, real topic.
00:50:28.800 --> 00:50:31.280
It it you know, 2023, 2024.
00:50:31.519 --> 00:50:34.960
It was oh no, gosh, that's not even like 2012 to 2014, wasn't it?
00:50:35.199 --> 00:50:36.079
Yeah, that's a decade ago.
00:50:36.719 --> 00:50:42.559
Well, that's depressing, but um, but uh yeah, so I I had jokes and like they were fine.
00:50:42.639 --> 00:50:48.719
I I think a few of them were keepers, but then eventually uh because it was probably topical, I didn't feel I needed to talk about Kesha all the time.
00:50:48.880 --> 00:51:07.440
Um but we um but we did we went to the same high school, and then so then I later, like a few years ago, wrote like a bit about being in a band in high school and and it was musical related, and there was like a Kesha joke that I did from years ago that fit with that bit.
00:51:07.599 --> 00:51:07.920
Yeah.
00:51:08.079 --> 00:51:10.880
And it was funny because it was like an eight-year gap.
00:51:11.199 --> 00:51:13.360
But then I was like, oh, this joke will actually go in.
00:51:13.440 --> 00:51:18.960
So sometimes you might write a set and might be like, I don't know about the set, and you're actually giving yourself something years later.
00:51:19.199 --> 00:51:25.679
Yeah, and I think that's like credit to the idea of you always want to be writing because you never know which joke is gonna be.
00:51:25.840 --> 00:51:32.239
Uh, like it's it it it they're all like puzzle pieces, and eventually it's going to fit into a bigger picture.
00:51:32.400 --> 00:51:38.400
For me, you know, I had written a joke about the the Ten Commandments being posted in all the classrooms.
00:51:38.639 --> 00:51:41.920
And at the time it worked, it still works, it's a good joke.
00:51:42.079 --> 00:51:48.880
But one of the newer jokes I wrote um was uh about um polymarket betting.
00:51:49.039 --> 00:51:56.880
And at the very end of that, I talk about how you know you can bet on whether or not Jesus is coming back um uh in 2026.
00:51:57.360 --> 00:52:07.679
And you know, I I ended that joke and I knew I wanted to close on Classroom Commandments, but on stage I found just the transition of like, oh, it's been a big year for religion.
00:52:07.840 --> 00:52:10.400
Uh, and then that just naturally transitioned.
00:52:10.559 --> 00:52:17.360
So, like, the more you play around with like this joke goes here, I'm gonna start with this joke, no, I'll end with it this time.
00:52:17.440 --> 00:52:32.960
Like, that's the other thing I would say is like don't be afraid to take your set apart and think about it like different pieces and restructure it because you'll find on stage, like, oh, I can transition much better between this idea and this idea.
00:52:33.280 --> 00:52:46.320
And yet, but the importance that break comes back to like making sure you have a well-defined punchline, a short setup and a punchline because that makes it easier than if you have to move a whole like paragraph or a whole page of a yeah.
00:52:46.639 --> 00:52:48.159
So, yeah, so that's um okay.
00:52:48.320 --> 00:52:48.880
Last question.
00:52:48.960 --> 00:52:52.320
This comes from uh Tabaret uh McCoy um on Facebook.
00:52:52.480 --> 00:52:58.719
He says, uh, do you find it harder to be funny when you're going through personal stress or is the stage your outlet?
00:52:59.280 --> 00:53:01.599
That's like a deep, like that's a deep yeah.
00:53:01.679 --> 00:53:03.760
I'm I'm gonna reflect on this one for a minute.
00:53:03.920 --> 00:53:06.559
Um the other one's like, here, just answer this.
00:53:06.719 --> 00:53:08.639
And this one's like your soul.
00:53:09.119 --> 00:53:09.920
I don't know, man.
00:53:10.079 --> 00:53:16.320
Like early on, I remember one of the comics uh in Memphis telling me, like, you gotta get up every night.
00:53:16.400 --> 00:53:21.760
Like you gotta get up on stage, and whether you've had a bad day or you're feeling burnt out.
00:53:21.920 --> 00:53:25.199
And I remember thinking, like, that is the dumbest thing I've ever heard.
00:53:25.440 --> 00:53:34.800
Like, I think there's some benefit to going on stage if you are not feeling great, because it's sort of like it's it's like working out when you don't feel 100%.
00:53:35.199 --> 00:53:43.360
Like you will get stronger, but you do run the risk of like crashing and burning or or just being completely shot.
00:53:43.679 --> 00:53:48.880
So, you know, if if comedy is an outlet for you, that's cool.
00:53:49.199 --> 00:53:55.280
But I think you and I have both been there when people have said on stage, this is my therapy.
00:53:55.519 --> 00:53:58.800
It's like and my response to that is always, you should go to therapy.
00:53:59.039 --> 00:53:59.519
Absolutely.
00:53:59.679 --> 00:54:00.400
This isn't that.
00:54:00.559 --> 00:54:03.360
Like, we're here to joke, we're here to tell funny jokes.
00:54:03.440 --> 00:54:05.440
And if you can make your pain funny, great.
00:54:05.599 --> 00:54:06.480
Yeah, that's fine.
00:54:06.559 --> 00:54:07.440
I want to hear it.
00:54:07.679 --> 00:54:17.599
But you know, if you're just up there trauma dumping on people and you don't have a punchline, you're just, you know, holding up a part of your life and saying, Isn't this messed up?
00:54:17.840 --> 00:54:19.760
They're like, Yeah, but why are you telling us?
00:54:19.920 --> 00:54:21.840
Yeah, like we're not professionals, dude.
00:54:21.920 --> 00:54:23.599
You should you should take this to a pro.
00:54:23.920 --> 00:54:34.719
Um, so yeah, I I think I think there there are minimal returns to uh being out of sorts and going on stage.
00:54:35.039 --> 00:54:38.320
And you you I'm not saying you can't get anything out of it.
00:54:38.400 --> 00:54:41.840
And I know some people, it's their outlet, and I wouldn't want to deprive them of that.
00:54:42.000 --> 00:54:50.960
I'm more of the mindset of you you you shouldn't try to do it all the time every night because you'll get burnt out and you're not living a life.
00:54:51.519 --> 00:54:52.400
Sometimes you need to break.
00:54:52.559 --> 00:54:53.920
A break can make you a lot better.
00:54:54.079 --> 00:54:54.719
You do need a break.
00:54:55.039 --> 00:55:00.000
I'm more of the camp of like, if you're not feeling great, there's no shame and missing a mic.
00:55:00.079 --> 00:55:02.159
Now, if you have a book show, go do a show.
00:55:02.320 --> 00:55:10.639
And I would even go so far as to say if you know you have a booked show on Saturday, maybe hit the mics like Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, but take Friday off.
00:55:10.800 --> 00:55:15.119
Go see a movie, go go to the library, read a book, you know, go on a date or something.
00:55:15.280 --> 00:55:18.159
That way you'll Okay, well, that one's a little bit harder for some.
00:55:18.559 --> 00:55:21.360
Well, I'm just speaking of my experience, folks.
00:55:22.960 --> 00:55:28.079
Uh yeah, like take care of yourself so that when you go on stage, you're able to be fun for the audience.
00:55:28.320 --> 00:55:29.119
I think that's wonderful.
00:55:29.199 --> 00:55:31.840
I also for me, it's also um important.
00:55:32.159 --> 00:55:39.360
I like to be aware of how I'm feeling, and that sometimes dicks t dictates the jokes I do.
00:55:39.760 --> 00:55:43.679
Um that's because I have enough material where I can shift, like, oh, these are the things that you can do.
00:55:43.840 --> 00:55:48.000
You have enough to pick from where you know like these are my sad jokes, these are my happy jokes.
00:55:49.039 --> 00:55:49.440
That's fun.
00:55:49.679 --> 00:55:59.599
And I don't um I don't know if I've talked about this on this podcast yet, but I do have a uh like a comedy superpower, or like I don't know if you're a geek into like Final Fantasy, but I do have like a limit break with comedy.
00:55:59.679 --> 00:56:02.639
I don't know if that makes that might have been the limit break.
00:56:02.719 --> 00:56:05.039
I get that that's the Final Fantasy term, but I don't know what that means.
00:56:05.599 --> 00:56:09.039
Someone listening's like, wow, what a great Oh my god, he's talking about it.
00:56:09.280 --> 00:56:13.519
But um for whatever next podcast is Final Fantasy discussions.
00:56:13.920 --> 00:56:14.960
I think I would love that.
00:56:15.039 --> 00:56:18.559
That would be a great I would I'd there's a community out there for it, I'm sure.
00:56:18.880 --> 00:56:22.719
So I uh here and here's the re I'll I'll give you the reason why.
00:56:22.880 --> 00:56:29.199
I am constantly always wanting to please everyone, always like so much anxiety of like saying the right thing or like all that.
00:56:29.280 --> 00:56:34.960
Like it's it's it's it I don't even think about it, but it's always in the back of my head, even when I'm on stage, right?
00:56:35.440 --> 00:56:48.159
When I the I am my funniest when I'm uh a little pissed off because what happens is I don't care about anybody when I'm in a certain mood.
00:56:48.239 --> 00:56:53.519
Yeah, and then I've and my delivery is I I've just it's it's always been this way.
00:56:53.679 --> 00:56:59.280
But here's the thing I've learned I can't fake it, I can't try I try to put myself in that mind.
00:56:59.599 --> 00:57:09.599
It just there is it, and so there's been times where I've had a really annoying day, and I'm yeah, I need to go perform because I know I'll do great.
00:57:09.840 --> 00:57:14.320
That being said, if it's like too much, like I remember I did have like a personal tragedy, yeah.
00:57:14.400 --> 00:57:17.760
That's but then I had to I had a booked show, so I was like well, I gotta go perform.
00:57:17.840 --> 00:57:21.039
It was a comedy contest, and so I went and I sucked.
00:57:21.199 --> 00:57:23.360
And I was like, I mean, it makes sense.
00:57:23.440 --> 00:57:24.719
This has been a terrible day.
00:57:25.039 --> 00:57:31.199
Yeah, it's it's a very fine balance, like that that that rocket fuel of your emotions.
00:57:31.280 --> 00:57:38.960
Because yeah, I mean, I I've talked to comics around the Nashville scene, and one in particular, I've told him like you are at your funniest when you are frustrated.
00:57:39.119 --> 00:57:48.480
Yeah, and and that that can work, but that's that's like in the same line as like, oh, if you have a beer before you go on stage, it'll loosen the wheels.
00:57:48.639 --> 00:57:53.280
Like, yeah, yeah, that can work, but I don't think that needs to be the technique.
00:57:53.599 --> 00:57:56.400
That's not that's not I don't want that to be like here's what you need to do.
00:57:56.559 --> 00:57:58.960
If one beer helps them, only seven, let me do seven being.
00:57:59.039 --> 00:57:59.920
Let me do seven beers.
00:58:00.239 --> 00:58:01.679
I'm gonna be hilarious after this.
00:58:02.239 --> 00:58:09.599
Yeah, I don't think you need to like go read comments before you go on stage to get pissed off about what's going on.
00:58:09.840 --> 00:58:18.079
Um I think I think like anything else, like if you if you train with weights on, you're you're gonna train different muscle groups, you're gonna get stronger.
00:58:18.239 --> 00:58:28.320
So if you if you practice going on stage when you're not in the best mood, you might get a little bit stronger uh than you would otherwise, or by depriving yourself of that experience.
00:58:28.639 --> 00:58:33.519
Or then, you know, we don't want to forget about the enjoyment, personal enjoyment that comes with comedy.
00:58:33.679 --> 00:58:38.320
Sometimes I go up there and I perform and I leave feeling better, like, oh, I'm glad I did that.
00:58:38.480 --> 00:58:38.639
Yeah.
00:58:38.800 --> 00:58:44.960
So yeah, now that that's another universal thing is you can definitely go up there and feel a lot better having done the thing.
00:58:45.119 --> 00:58:45.440
Yeah.
00:58:45.599 --> 00:58:46.639
So we're cool.
00:58:46.800 --> 00:58:49.119
Zach, thanks so much for being on this podcast.
00:58:49.360 --> 00:58:49.760
Yeah, man.
00:58:49.840 --> 00:58:50.320
Thanks for having me.
00:58:50.559 --> 00:58:54.320
I I I thought it might be weird if we didn't talk about Fast and Fears, but I think we made it work.
00:58:54.480 --> 00:58:56.079
Like, I think I think we found a good balance.
00:58:56.320 --> 00:58:57.360
We did, we did okay.
00:58:57.519 --> 00:59:00.159
Um, I you know, next time I'm like, hey, do you want to be on the podcast?
00:59:00.320 --> 00:59:01.119
He's like, what movie?
00:59:01.280 --> 00:59:03.679
Because I'm not just gonna talk to you about comedy again.
00:59:03.760 --> 00:59:04.800
So this is good.
00:59:04.880 --> 00:59:05.519
Oh, I like this.
00:59:05.679 --> 00:59:06.639
Thanks for having me on.
00:59:06.800 --> 00:59:08.320
Um, is it okay if I plug stuff?
00:59:08.480 --> 00:59:11.039
Yes, this is your time to plug whatever you want to plug.
00:59:11.280 --> 00:59:11.679
Awesome.
00:59:11.760 --> 00:59:17.840
So you can find me on Instagram, TikTok at Zach Williams Comedy, Z-A-C-H Williams Comedy, all one word.
00:59:17.920 --> 00:59:19.840
I'm also Zach Williams on Facebook.
00:59:20.000 --> 00:59:24.800
Um, big thing that I want to promote is in Memphis we have the Pitt Comedy Club.
00:59:24.880 --> 00:59:30.239
Uh that will be coming up in September 16th, I want to say is our first show.
00:59:30.400 --> 00:59:32.559
But we're doing weekly shows on Thursdays.
00:59:32.639 --> 00:59:37.840
We're gonna have touring comics from all over the country coming to Memphis performing live stand-up comedy.
00:59:37.920 --> 00:59:39.519
Um, I'll be hosting sometimes.
00:59:39.599 --> 00:59:43.440
Uh, other times it'll be Ryan Bush, Colt Nails, or Charlie Virgos.
00:59:43.519 --> 00:59:46.480
Uh so yeah, come to the Pitt Comedy Club if you're in Memphis.
00:59:46.559 --> 00:59:52.559
If you're a comic who would like to come perform in Memphis, shoot me a DM, shoot me a tape, um, and we'll see if we can get you in.
00:59:52.719 --> 00:59:54.079
Uh otherwise, this has been great.
00:59:54.159 --> 00:59:54.559
Thank you so much.
00:59:54.800 --> 00:59:55.440
Thanks for doing this.
00:59:55.519 --> 00:59:58.880
Uh, and I'll I'll do the same old plugs Clean Comedy Collective.
00:59:58.960 --> 01:00:02.559
Find us on Instagram, find us on Facebook, cleancomedycollective.com.
01:00:02.639 --> 01:00:04.159
That's where you can listen to earlier episodes.
01:00:04.239 --> 01:00:11.679
That's where you can click uh the comedians and then Tennessee and find me and Zach and follow our all of our stuff, although all of his stuff is in the notes.
01:00:11.760 --> 01:00:14.480
So you can just scroll down and click that if you want.
01:00:14.719 --> 01:00:17.760
Um, and also that's where you can listen to previous episodes.
01:00:17.840 --> 01:00:21.679
That's where you can donate if you want to join Patreon or if you just want to give us money to help support what we're doing.
01:00:21.840 --> 01:00:24.719
We're building a virtual networking community across the country.
01:00:24.880 --> 01:00:29.280
We currently have about 250 comedians from 39 states and one from Switzerland.
01:00:29.440 --> 01:00:31.840
Um we're international now.
01:00:32.159 --> 01:00:32.800
Oh nice.
01:00:33.280 --> 01:00:36.639
Um, and then uh, but yeah, uh come back next week.
01:00:36.719 --> 01:00:39.119
We'll have a different comedian uh that we'll be having a chat with.
01:00:39.199 --> 01:00:40.880
And thank you as always for listening.
01:00:40.960 --> 01:00:42.239
And I hope you guys have a great week.
01:00:42.400 --> 01:00:42.960
All right, bye.
00:00:17.600 --> 00:00:20.079
Welcome back to the Clean Comedy Chats podcast.
00:00:20.160 --> 00:00:22.079
This is absolutely the first time we did this.
00:00:22.239 --> 00:00:24.480
Yeah, nothing bad happened before this started.
00:00:24.719 --> 00:00:25.760
Nothing bad happened.
00:00:26.320 --> 00:00:27.440
Thank you all for coming back.
00:00:27.519 --> 00:00:30.399
We're here with another Clean Comedy Collective comedian.
00:00:30.480 --> 00:00:34.320
This is Zach Williams from I guess you can greet.
00:00:34.640 --> 00:00:35.679
Yeah, hey, what's up, y'all?
00:00:35.759 --> 00:00:36.399
I'm Zach.
00:00:36.560 --> 00:00:37.439
As he said, yeah.
00:00:37.840 --> 00:00:38.479
So good to be here.
00:00:38.719 --> 00:00:38.960
Yeah.
00:00:39.039 --> 00:00:40.000
Uh, we're glad you're here.
00:00:40.079 --> 00:00:42.479
This uh Zach is also a fellow Nashville comedian.
00:00:42.560 --> 00:00:49.119
Uh, we were saying the first time, although if you go on the website, cleancomedycollective.com, and you go to Tennessee, you're gonna see him as a Memphis comedian.
00:00:49.359 --> 00:00:50.640
Uh we're gonna get that updated.
00:00:51.039 --> 00:00:51.759
We'll update that.
00:00:51.840 --> 00:00:54.479
Um, but you know, we'll talk about here in a little bit, but like it fits.
00:00:54.560 --> 00:00:57.600
You kind of you kind of are you still have a foot in both worlds.
00:00:57.679 --> 00:01:06.719
So yeah, I do feel like sort of transitional right now just because a Memphis is like three hours away, so it's not that difficult to bounce back and forth, which helps, you know.
00:01:06.879 --> 00:01:07.519
Yeah, absolutely.
00:01:07.599 --> 00:01:14.239
But if you're a comedian in the or excuse me, if you're an audience person or someone who likes comedy in Nashville, Zach is someone you could see.
00:01:14.480 --> 00:01:15.599
You will see me around, yeah.
00:01:15.760 --> 00:01:21.439
Now, I I was beginning to say this before all the power broke out, and so maybe if it happens again, this is just a curse.
00:01:21.680 --> 00:01:24.480
Again, I maintain it was just too funny and the system overloaded.
00:01:24.799 --> 00:01:32.000
Yeah, that um I don't claim to have a ton of podcast followers, like people that just love me just because of the the podcast.
00:01:32.079 --> 00:01:37.200
But if you're a longtime listener of my podcast adventure, this is the episode you've been waiting for.
00:01:37.519 --> 00:01:40.400
Yeah, I like I was saying I feel bad that I don't have the bald cap.
00:01:40.560 --> 00:01:42.959
Yeah, no one's gonna recognize me without that.
00:01:43.359 --> 00:01:45.599
They're like, who's this perfectly normal person?
00:01:45.760 --> 00:01:49.519
Yeah, he's not dressed up as Vincent Diesel, so what are we doing here?
00:01:49.760 --> 00:01:51.439
I love that you called him Vincent Diesel.
00:01:51.519 --> 00:01:56.000
I don't think anyone's ever I'm I think I I I I think Kyle Canane called him that one time, but yeah.
00:01:56.799 --> 00:01:57.760
Yeah, no, for sure.
00:01:57.920 --> 00:02:01.200
But but Vin Diesel, uh yeah, of the Fast and Furious films.
00:02:01.280 --> 00:02:03.680
That that was the first podcast you had me on.
00:02:03.840 --> 00:02:06.640
And now, like, I'm I'm glad you had me on this one.
00:02:06.719 --> 00:02:09.840
I didn't watch a movie to prepare for this, so I don't really know.
00:02:10.159 --> 00:02:10.560
It's weird.
00:02:10.639 --> 00:02:12.400
It feels like we're yeah, I don't have a roadmap.
00:02:12.639 --> 00:02:14.719
Yeah, we're this is a new territory for you.
00:02:14.800 --> 00:02:17.599
We we don't talk about movies as much in this podcast.
00:02:17.759 --> 00:02:22.800
But I'll give you permission if at any point you decide to that we should stop talking about clean comedy.
00:02:23.039 --> 00:02:26.400
Yeah, if I black out and just start talking about Fast and Furious, I'll allow it.
00:02:26.479 --> 00:02:28.719
Yeah, I'll that I honestly would prefer it.
00:02:28.800 --> 00:02:30.080
I don't know if our listeners would.
00:02:30.159 --> 00:02:36.000
They probably came here to listen about Clean Comedy or the Clean Comedy Collective or just do you personally, but we'll give the people what they want.
00:02:36.159 --> 00:02:37.680
Yeah, uh Zach, we're so glad you're here.
00:02:37.840 --> 00:02:38.800
Yeah, good to be here, man.
00:02:38.879 --> 00:02:39.520
Thanks for having me.
00:02:39.599 --> 00:02:40.080
This is fun.
00:02:40.240 --> 00:02:42.800
Yeah, so you we alluded to a little bit ago.
00:02:42.879 --> 00:02:49.599
Uh you uh were you were living in Memphis, that's where you started your comedy journey, and then you moved here to Nashville.
00:02:49.759 --> 00:02:53.599
Um, I don't did we ever do comedy in Memphis at the same time?
00:02:53.759 --> 00:02:59.439
Like, were we ever because I also lived in Memphis for a little bit, well, around Memphis and didn't really I I don't think so.
00:02:59.599 --> 00:03:12.719
So I got started at like the end of 22, and I think you had already moved on to Nashville, and that's where we first met because I came to the JuicePal mic that you were one of the running that was like the the only clean mic that I was aware of in town.
00:03:12.960 --> 00:03:14.479
And uh yeah, I met you there.
00:03:14.560 --> 00:03:22.960
I think I had like maybe seen you before you probably had come to like an early version of the High Cotton Club when we had that going on.
00:03:23.120 --> 00:03:26.719
Um, so that was like the first time I saw you, but then met you at the JuicePal mic.
00:03:26.960 --> 00:03:29.520
And I remember uh because you were like, Yeah, I'm a comic from Memphis.
00:03:29.599 --> 00:03:33.919
So I was just far enough removed from Memphis where I was like, No, you're not, I would have known you already.
00:03:34.000 --> 00:03:35.599
Like it was very hard for me to process.
00:03:35.680 --> 00:03:35.919
Yeah.
00:03:36.240 --> 00:03:37.919
There are people from Memphis that I didn't know.
00:03:38.240 --> 00:03:46.960
No, that that was definitely like a feeling that I had when I got into comedy in Memphis because there was very much like a crop of comics who came up before I did.
00:03:47.120 --> 00:03:55.520
And oddly enough, I remember like going to open mics um as a spectator, you know, when I was doing theater, and I would watch those guys perform.
00:03:55.599 --> 00:04:17.120
And then like once I finally got into comedy, I I kind of had a little bit of a parasocial relationship with those comics because I had seen them perform, but like the longer I spent doing comedy in Memphis, the more I realized, like, yeah, there was there was an old guard of people who had either like gotten out of comedy or they were doing it like still but minimally, right?
00:04:17.360 --> 00:04:20.639
And like a couple of people who were still sticking to it.
00:04:20.800 --> 00:04:25.120
Um, and then you know, as as I started to come up, there were people who joined after me.
00:04:25.279 --> 00:04:29.600
And it's amazing how quickly, like for me, it was like three months into comedy.
00:04:29.680 --> 00:04:34.639
If someone just started, I was like, Well, you newbie, what are you doing trying to encroach on our territory?
00:04:34.879 --> 00:04:39.040
Like the the sense of tribalism, it it gets infected really quick.
00:04:39.199 --> 00:04:39.759
Yeah, I find.
00:04:40.160 --> 00:04:47.680
So you have a theater background and you ended up jumping into com so how did how did how did you get into comedy from theater?
00:04:47.839 --> 00:04:53.199
And then like why also it might be, and then like do you remember the first time you ever performed, where it was and what it was like?
00:04:53.439 --> 00:04:54.319
Yeah, I still remember it.
00:04:54.480 --> 00:05:00.000
Um so yeah, starting with theater, um, I that's what I went to school for, uh, fresh out of high school.
00:05:00.160 --> 00:05:10.319
I went to the University of Memphis and started pursuing a degree in theater and took a bit of a scenic route getting my degree, um, which means that I I did not get it in four years.
00:05:10.480 --> 00:05:31.920
Um, but yeah, I did theater around Memphis, uh, ended up working for the Tennessee Shakespeare Company, and then worked with them up until 2018, and then I left theater for a while uh and I started focusing on like building up um online brands and like digital media marketing, that kind of thing, just sort of training myself on a different skill set.
00:05:32.160 --> 00:05:38.000
And uh then around 2019, I was like, ah, yeah, you know, I kind of want to get back into performing.
00:05:38.160 --> 00:05:55.199
And I remember I auditioned for uh a play called Measure for Measure, which is a Shakespeare play, but it was being done on like a community theater level, and went in, had a good audition, it was fun, and they cast me in the role that I wanted to play, and uh rehearsals were supposed to start in March of 2020.
00:05:55.519 --> 00:05:57.600
So that didn't happen.
00:05:58.160 --> 00:06:04.399
And they were like, Oh, we're gonna do Zoom theater, and it just yeah, that that's the appropriate response.
00:06:04.560 --> 00:06:05.920
It sounded awful.
00:06:06.079 --> 00:06:17.600
Like Shakespeare's all about you know, performing live and you know, feeding off an audience, and the whole idea of being like reduced to Zoom performance, it just I I couldn't do it.
00:06:17.759 --> 00:06:32.639
So I left that, and then I um I worked on social media marketing and sort of like expanding like with different small businesses, helping out uh my family business, getting them set up online, and that turned out to be um very lucrative.
00:06:32.800 --> 00:06:45.519
But then in 222, that itch sort of came back, and I remember um at the time I was living with my now fiance at the time, girlfriend, and she was having a girls' night.
00:06:45.600 --> 00:06:48.160
So she was like, Oh, you you gotta get out of the house.
00:06:48.800 --> 00:06:50.319
So she gave me the option.
00:06:50.399 --> 00:06:54.000
She was like, I can put your Xbox in the back room, or you can go find something to do.
00:06:54.240 --> 00:06:55.839
I was like, I'll give you the house.
00:06:55.920 --> 00:06:59.680
I'm I'm not I'm not gonna just play Red Dead Redemption while y'all do girl talk.
00:06:59.920 --> 00:07:00.959
It sounds like a good night, though.
00:07:01.040 --> 00:07:04.399
I mean, like it yeah, in in retrospect, that could have been one of the good days.
00:07:04.560 --> 00:07:09.920
Um, but no, I I I got out of the house and I I went to the high-tone open mic.
00:07:10.160 --> 00:07:15.279
Um, and you know, I had I I've I've always been interested in stand-up comedy.
00:07:15.360 --> 00:07:25.839
I remember listening to like different uh comedians on Pandora, and I grew up, my dad, you know, he exposed me to like uh Sam Kinnison and George Carlin and Eddie Murphy.
00:07:26.000 --> 00:07:32.879
Um, and you know, I always had an appreciation for stand-up, so I knew it was something I wanted to try.
00:07:33.279 --> 00:07:40.639
So then when I went to the high tone, you know, I signed up and uh the list got very full very fast because I showed up on time.
00:07:41.199 --> 00:07:41.759
Don't do that.
00:07:41.920 --> 00:07:43.360
You you show up early, yeah.
00:07:43.519 --> 00:07:45.759
You show up early so you can go home on time.
00:07:46.240 --> 00:07:53.839
And uh yeah, I remember the first time I went up, I I just had like the the worst idea of what I was gonna do.
00:07:53.920 --> 00:07:55.759
I thought, oh, I'll try a funny accent.
00:07:55.920 --> 00:07:59.759
And I had this bit about microwaves that I thought was gonna be groundbreaking.
00:08:00.399 --> 00:08:00.720
I love it.
00:08:00.800 --> 00:08:01.279
I love it a lot.
00:08:02.160 --> 00:08:05.920
The whole idea was like, oh, microwaves, you know, why do I have to put time on them?
00:08:06.000 --> 00:08:09.600
Why are the microwaves moving in on the calendars game or the clocks game or whatever?
00:08:09.839 --> 00:08:10.959
Still terrible to this day.
00:08:11.040 --> 00:08:12.560
I've never tried to revive it.
00:08:12.800 --> 00:08:20.319
But uh yeah, I remember I went on stage and I'm doing the bit, and I just like I look up and the whole audience is just staring at me.
00:08:20.480 --> 00:08:24.000
And I the comic who had gone on before me was Richard Douglas Jones.
00:08:24.160 --> 00:08:24.639
He's good.
00:08:24.800 --> 00:08:32.720
He he yeah, he's dynamite, and he he I remember distinctly him fighting with the host because he was having such a good set, like arguing with him.
00:08:32.879 --> 00:08:36.080
Like, I'm not getting off this stage, I'm I'm giving these people what they came to see.
00:08:36.320 --> 00:08:37.759
So finally they get him off the stage.
00:08:38.080 --> 00:08:41.519
Which, by the way, as much as we love Richard, that is not great open mic etiquette.
00:08:41.600 --> 00:08:42.399
Like, don't do that.
00:08:42.639 --> 00:08:46.639
It's not, but he was again, he was doing well, and I I can't argue with that.
00:08:47.039 --> 00:08:58.559
So, so then the host, uh John Miller, he brings me on stage, and um I'm you know, do doing my terrible attempt at comedy, you know, a very theater kid killer microwave bit.
00:08:58.720 --> 00:09:00.000
My killer microwave bit.
00:09:00.080 --> 00:09:04.080
I'm I'm breaking ground, they're just all too stunned with how funny it is to laugh.
00:09:04.399 --> 00:09:07.919
And I hear from the back of the room, Zach, you're done.
00:09:08.879 --> 00:09:11.519
It's like three minutes in, I just got off the stage.
00:09:11.840 --> 00:09:14.799
And uh, yeah, that was my first open mic experience.
00:09:14.960 --> 00:09:16.000
So I I bombed.
00:09:16.240 --> 00:09:19.120
So you know what I always I'm always interested by this.
00:09:19.279 --> 00:09:23.200
Um, what made you be like, let me do that again?
00:09:24.399 --> 00:09:25.200
Great question.
00:09:25.360 --> 00:09:41.120
Um funny enough, an another comic who was on the scene, Topher Shaw, um, he he kind of pulled me aside, and I had met him before, like uh going to like um music shows or whatever, and he kind of told me, like, uh, you know, good stuff, uh, try shorter jokes.
00:09:41.519 --> 00:09:52.240
And he kind of walked me through like if you do like a setup punchline, you know, that that if you can get a laugh in the first 10 seconds, then they know to trust you so that they'll pay attention for the rest of the set.
00:09:52.320 --> 00:10:01.679
Because if you're not funny, if you know, if if if I'm an audience member and I'm paying attention for 30 seconds and I'm not laughing or I'm not if they're not leading me somewhere, then I'm gonna mentally check out.
00:10:01.840 --> 00:10:02.080
Oh, yeah.
00:10:02.320 --> 00:10:07.200
If you're gonna in the first 30 seconds, you could very easily be like, well, this person's not funny, and then you stop listening to the rest of it.
00:10:07.440 --> 00:10:07.600
Yeah.
00:10:07.679 --> 00:10:13.919
So even if you have a great killer joke that takes 45 seconds, maybe put that second in your set.
00:10:14.080 --> 00:10:20.639
Um, and yeah, once he told me that, you know, it it kind of made me go back to the drawing board and I wrote out some thoughts and tried to get them shorter.
00:10:20.799 --> 00:10:40.080
I I think uh um yeah, Merritt, my my now fiance, she she actually bought me like an online class for Second City um that was a stand-up class, and that kind of took me through like the basics of joke writing and understanding your perspective and understanding how to like win the audience over, that kind of thing.
00:10:40.399 --> 00:10:43.840
So once I had that, uh you know, that took about three months.
00:10:44.000 --> 00:10:53.600
Um, and it was a grind, like the you know, I st I've I still have recordings from some of my early sets, and it's hard to listen to because like it's a lot of silence.
00:10:53.759 --> 00:11:01.679
Yeah, um I always encourage newer comics to like after they do their uh first set, they like post it online, but like as a real and it's like but there's no laughter.
00:11:01.759 --> 00:11:03.120
I'm like, you could wait a little bit.
00:11:03.360 --> 00:11:06.480
Yeah, you know, wait till there it's a little bit more polished or something.
00:11:06.639 --> 00:11:13.200
But um, but yeah, once I once I got like the first few laughs and I knew like, oh, this is a joke.
00:11:13.360 --> 00:11:18.799
This is a joke that I can tell consistently that will get some kind of reaction, it will get some kind of laugh.
00:11:19.039 --> 00:11:24.000
Then it became like uh an exercise in okay, how do I make it better?
00:11:24.159 --> 00:11:26.159
How do I make one joke tie into the next?
00:11:26.320 --> 00:11:28.879
How do I like put together a set?
00:11:29.039 --> 00:11:31.600
How do I keep them engaged for five minutes?
00:11:31.840 --> 00:11:38.720
Because the the next hurdle that I found is I would do well, but I would get off stage before the light.
00:11:39.360 --> 00:11:45.919
And it was like I ran out of things to say, so I I didn't know how to be on stage and like keep the momentum going.
00:11:46.399 --> 00:11:50.080
So so then it became like, okay, how can I make a full set?
00:11:50.159 --> 00:11:53.600
How can I make a full five minutes that works consistently?
00:11:54.080 --> 00:11:58.399
And then from there, you know, it's it's the science of like still to this day.
00:11:58.480 --> 00:12:08.320
I think every comic still wants to like as soon as you get to one plateau of like, okay, I had them laughing for 20 of 30 seconds, how do I get to 25 of 30 seconds?
00:12:08.480 --> 00:12:15.360
Um, and you just expand that out and out and out, and then making sure like this joke worked for one room, but it didn't work for this room.
00:12:15.519 --> 00:12:15.840
Why?
00:12:16.000 --> 00:12:16.639
You know, right?
00:12:16.879 --> 00:12:26.159
So so yeah, now that's the most fun, fascinating part about the skill of comedy is like recognizing so many factors go into is it a good routine?
00:12:28.399 --> 00:12:36.480
Changing things up for different audiences or knowing where to put that joke or what words to cut out or the mannerisms of how to say I mean, yeah, there's just so much.
00:12:37.120 --> 00:12:44.639
Constant tinkering is is the addictive quality because once you know you can do it, then it's like, okay, how do I do this better?
00:12:44.720 --> 00:12:59.360
How do I and and you know, also having the freedom to like recognize like maybe my jokes are gonna work, but I might have to like abandon the game plan when I go into this room because they're already a hot room and I just gotta ride that wave for a little bit.
00:12:59.600 --> 00:13:20.960
And and that's kind of like the place I've gotten to now where a lot of my jokes, I I've written them, I've told them, they have gotten uh consistent laughs, but I'm trying to figure out how do I get to a more playful space where you know, so there's there's comics out there that could read the phone book and people are gonna laugh because they're just entertaining in their mannerisms.
00:13:21.200 --> 00:13:28.720
And I think like figuring out that playful space for your material is is like the kind of plateau that I'm chasing right now.
00:13:29.039 --> 00:13:29.200
Right.
00:13:29.360 --> 00:13:35.519
Someone told me a long time ago, but it stuck is like, you know, you're the entertainment, your jokes are just one of your tools.
00:13:36.000 --> 00:13:48.960
Like realizing that there is more to it than your written jokes, and um because I I have always I don't know if I'm scripted, but like I feel like I've always I I've never loved crowd work, I've never loved like just trying something off the cuff or whatever.
00:13:49.039 --> 00:13:51.759
Like I want to say what I'm comfortable in, what I think is funny.
00:13:52.000 --> 00:14:02.000
Yeah, but um I have over the years gotten a little bit more comfortable with you know, when I see a reaction to something playing into that a little bit.
00:14:02.240 --> 00:14:03.440
Yeah, absolutely.
00:14:03.840 --> 00:14:14.159
And I I think like for me, similar to that, I've I've again starting with that theater background, I was so rigid and so scripted in my approach.
00:14:14.320 --> 00:14:38.320
Like I knew these are the jokes that I say in this order, these are the words that I've spit out to like get a laugh reaction, but getting to a more playful space where you have a roadmap, you have a game plan of what you're trying to get to from beat to beat, but being okay to deviate from that, because one of the phrases that I've I've heard that I love is you don't do you do comedy with people, you don't do comedy at people.
00:14:38.480 --> 00:14:38.639
Yeah.
00:14:39.120 --> 00:14:56.159
Because even if you have killer jokes, you know, all throughout your set, if you just continue to just do them by rote and you're just an automaton, like doing joke after joke after joke, eventually the audience realizes like you're not really present up there, you're not with us in the room.
00:14:56.399 --> 00:15:02.799
So you I there there has to be a balance, I think, between like, okay, here are my jokes, but we're also gonna have fun.
00:15:03.039 --> 00:15:05.519
And and finding that that nice little mixture.
00:15:05.679 --> 00:15:08.080
And I think it's different for every comic.
00:15:08.159 --> 00:15:14.240
Some comics like George Carlin, he was syllable like down to the syllable of scripted and planned.
00:15:14.320 --> 00:15:18.399
And as an audience member, you just kind of have to strap in and go on the ride.
00:15:18.559 --> 00:15:30.080
And then there's other comics that are a little bit more interactive, where yeah, if there's an odd laugh in the room or if there's you know a weird reaction, they're gonna play off that.
00:15:30.159 --> 00:15:30.320
Yeah.
00:15:30.559 --> 00:15:32.799
Or directly asking, like, what do you do for work?
00:15:32.879 --> 00:15:35.679
You know, that that's the more raw form of crowd work.
00:15:35.919 --> 00:15:40.240
So at the end of the day, like whatever's gonna make the room laugh, that's what you want to go for.
00:15:40.480 --> 00:15:40.639
Yeah.
00:15:41.200 --> 00:15:57.840
And I I think a wisdom in in your story that uh comp especially newer comedians or people wanting to try comedy should benefit from is especially when it comes to open mics, like if you if you go up there and you bomb or you have a bad set or you're not satisfied with your set, like go come back next week.
00:15:58.000 --> 00:15:58.559
Do it again.
00:15:58.720 --> 00:16:02.159
Like there's nothing there's nothing wrong with bombing at open mics.
00:16:02.240 --> 00:16:03.279
I mean, it doesn't feel great.
00:16:03.519 --> 00:16:04.879
No, it doesn't feel good.
00:16:04.960 --> 00:16:12.000
And like if it's if it's weighing on your mental health, then yeah, you might want to like figure out something else different to do.
00:16:12.399 --> 00:16:14.000
Um, but yeah, that's what it's for.
00:16:14.480 --> 00:16:16.799
That's what you're you get better as you go, you know.
00:16:17.039 --> 00:16:17.600
Absolutely.
00:16:17.679 --> 00:16:18.000
Yeah.
00:16:18.240 --> 00:16:22.960
But yeah, you need to learn to correct the behaviors that are not working, otherwise you're never gonna get better.
00:16:23.360 --> 00:16:35.840
Because I feel like after you as it so for me, when when I get on stage on an open mic and I try new jokes and I bomb with them, there is a slight success to it because I'm like, okay, so now I know that doesn't work.
00:16:36.080 --> 00:16:36.320
Yeah.
00:16:36.639 --> 00:16:38.639
What what do I do to change that?
00:16:38.879 --> 00:16:45.519
Now there's a different story where someone bombs with the same jokes constantly and they never change it.
00:16:45.840 --> 00:16:55.519
That and and I've also seen the thing where like I think there's a lot of uh benefit in being able to discern why people are laughing.
00:16:55.679 --> 00:16:55.919
Yeah.
00:16:56.240 --> 00:16:59.120
Because sometimes people will laugh because they're uncomfortable.
00:16:59.279 --> 00:17:01.279
Like it right, you can or a pity laugh.
00:17:01.919 --> 00:17:03.440
A pity laugh, like, oh, that was bad.
00:17:03.519 --> 00:17:03.679
Yeah.
00:17:04.079 --> 00:17:04.960
I'm guilty of that.
00:17:05.039 --> 00:17:10.400
I for whatever reason I love seeing a train wreck happen at a mic, and I I feel bad.
00:17:10.960 --> 00:17:11.920
I'm I'm the same way.
00:17:12.000 --> 00:17:13.839
I don't want you to feel alone in that play.
00:17:14.000 --> 00:17:21.680
Yeah, I like I feel bad because I know I'm laughing, and I don't know sometimes if they can discern, like, oh, that was a right.
00:17:21.759 --> 00:17:24.319
They'll walk up and I killed that guy over there was laughing.
00:17:24.400 --> 00:17:26.160
So and it's like we not for the right reason.
00:17:26.400 --> 00:17:26.640
That's it.
00:17:26.720 --> 00:17:29.680
That's uh maybe that's an example of laughing at you and not with you, I guess.
00:17:30.000 --> 00:17:30.640
Yeah, yeah.
00:17:30.880 --> 00:17:38.240
I think a lot a lot of people doing comedy, they get very uncomfortable with silence and they they want to have some kind of reaction.
00:17:38.400 --> 00:17:48.160
So they'll just say something crazy because they know it's going to elicit some kind of response, and even that feels better than just dead silence, you know.
00:17:48.400 --> 00:18:01.200
So, so like being able to know what you want from them and want them like wanting being very clear about what you want them to laugh at about the joke, that that helps a lot.
00:18:01.279 --> 00:18:03.759
Um, and then you can gear what you're doing towards that.
00:18:03.839 --> 00:18:06.319
You can be like, okay, well, if that's what I want, then how do I get there?
00:18:06.480 --> 00:18:12.079
And then that's that's the whole skill of comedy, which is like you said, addictive and fun and part of the enjoyment of doing it.
00:18:12.240 --> 00:18:12.480
Yeah.
00:18:12.559 --> 00:18:15.039
Um, so so we're gonna shift yours a little bit.
00:18:15.200 --> 00:18:19.839
Um, you I love your social media, I love the videos.
00:18:19.920 --> 00:18:22.880
I love that's good, because a lot of the people in my comments really seem to hate it.
00:18:23.119 --> 00:18:25.519
I love reading the hate comments.
00:18:25.599 --> 00:18:29.359
Uh I I just it's just enjoyable because I love your reactions to it.
00:18:29.440 --> 00:18:33.440
And like uh, so for and and feel free, uh, I'm gonna have you help me with this.
00:18:33.599 --> 00:18:36.559
Uh tell them tell them about your social media, where to find you.
00:18:36.640 --> 00:18:42.000
And and if we we may do this later when we do the official plugs, but like uh that's good context for them.
00:18:42.079 --> 00:18:48.160
Uh tell us tell us a little bit about um you know what you do on your social, how'd you get into it?
00:18:48.240 --> 00:18:49.759
And I mean they're very successful.
00:18:49.839 --> 00:18:53.279
If you'll feel comfortable, let us know your numbers because um, yeah.
00:18:53.440 --> 00:18:59.039
Um so so social media, the the platforms I primarily deal with are TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook.
00:18:59.279 --> 00:19:14.799
Um I've posted a little bit on YouTube, but like YouTube Shorts, just because the the videos that I do, they're all under three minutes because after three minutes, uh Instagram will cut it off and you have to do separate reels, and that I don't want to I don't want to deal with that.
00:19:14.960 --> 00:19:34.160
Um so so I've I've used social media before, and when I before I got into comedy, I sort of studied social media as a marketing platform and how to use social media to get in touch with your audience and find people who are gonna respond to whatever it is you're selling.
00:19:34.240 --> 00:19:37.200
For me, it's uh jokes and ideas.
00:19:37.519 --> 00:19:51.200
Um and when I was, I guess it was November of 24, um, I I went to the Memphis Urban Laughs Comedy Festival and run by uh a great woman named Latoya.
00:19:51.440 --> 00:19:51.759
Yep.
00:19:52.000 --> 00:20:01.440
And she uh she had one of the like people to come in and speak to everyone who was attending the festival or being a part of it, and I forget her name, I would have to look that up.
00:20:01.839 --> 00:20:03.440
But I was at that same workshop as you.
00:20:03.680 --> 00:20:04.319
Yeah, you were there.
00:20:04.480 --> 00:20:04.799
I remember that.
00:20:04.880 --> 00:20:13.920
So I'm so so she she gave a whole class basically, lasted about an hour and a half on social media and how to establish your presence.
00:20:14.160 --> 00:20:23.759
And she like really hammered home the idea of like people are getting uh real legit opportunities off of social media.
00:20:24.000 --> 00:20:31.119
And I really think that's the medium nowadays, like more than television, more than uh anything else.
00:20:31.279 --> 00:20:51.920
Like, you know, 20, 30 years ago, I think the goal for comedy, or at least like the the well-worn path, was you do really well, you get booked on a show, maybe you get booked on like the tonight show or something, and then you get like uh a development deal, or you might get a sitcom or some something where you you get to the gate and then you talk to the gatekeepers, and then you're allowed to pass through.
00:20:52.160 --> 00:20:54.240
And all throughout that you're developing a following.
00:20:54.640 --> 00:21:01.920
Yeah, and and then once you're at a certain level, the the machine will sort of like push you out in front of a certain audience.
00:21:02.160 --> 00:21:11.359
Nowadays we have that on our phones, and the the gate is uh being on social media and being on the apps that people use.
00:21:11.519 --> 00:21:17.359
So wherever people are dedicating their attention, that's that's where you gotta be if you want to like climb the ladder.
00:21:17.680 --> 00:21:22.000
So she she kind of gave us a spiel all about that, and I really took it to heart.
00:21:22.079 --> 00:21:33.039
I, you know, after that festival was done, I really started to like be consistent about you know, opening up the phone, hit and record, and just saying whatever was on my mind.
00:21:33.279 --> 00:21:45.440
Of course, this was around uh November of 24, so this was around the election cycle, and I've always grown up admiring like the Daily Show with Jon Stewart and uh the Colbert rapport.
00:21:45.839 --> 00:21:52.640
So I think uh comedy with uh a political slant to it is not something that I've ever shied away from.
00:21:53.039 --> 00:21:57.039
Quite the opposite, I find myself more often than not going towards that.
00:21:57.599 --> 00:22:07.680
So for me, I I I tried to go on social media and work jokes or work ideas in that vehicle.
00:22:07.839 --> 00:22:24.559
Because sometimes, like and you've experienced this, I'm sure, um, most creatives have when you have an idea, if you work with different disciplines, whether it's music or painting or script writing or joke writing, sometimes you don't know what is the best articulation of that idea.
00:22:24.799 --> 00:22:25.200
That's right.
00:22:25.440 --> 00:22:32.000
For me, social media was a new way to articulate ideas that I couldn't really work on stage.
00:22:32.079 --> 00:22:34.400
It wouldn't, I don't think it would translate as well.
00:22:34.559 --> 00:22:44.079
Like being a one of the things that I like to do a lot is I'll do like a two-camera angle where I'll literally just switch back and forth between my two hands and it gives the appearance of a dialogue.
00:22:44.240 --> 00:22:55.839
Um, and that you know allows me to play two sides of a coin about any particular issue, and it uh it's provided like a way for me to again like explore ideas on social media.
00:22:56.000 --> 00:23:00.000
And you hit post, and you know, it's a roll of the dice every time.
00:23:00.079 --> 00:23:04.480
You know, sometimes videos they're gonna get 300 views and then stop flat.
00:23:04.720 --> 00:23:07.119
Other times something really takes off.
00:23:07.359 --> 00:23:10.880
And with consistency, you know, it's a numbers game.
00:23:10.960 --> 00:23:14.160
You're going to increase your chances of having something go off.
00:23:14.400 --> 00:23:20.480
So now, you know, I when I started, I I just used, you know, the Instagram account that I had been running for years.
00:23:20.640 --> 00:23:25.440
The I think I originally posted like paintings and stuff before I got into comedy and theater.
00:23:25.599 --> 00:23:41.839
Um I I did that when I started posting like aggressive comedy uh content, it eventually got I think like I don't I don't know what the first big one was, but it I I I take that back.
00:23:41.920 --> 00:23:53.119
It was a video commenting on the tariffs situation where I literally had like a video with the American flag over, and that was one side, and then the video with the Canadian flag and like them two reacting.
00:23:53.440 --> 00:24:00.319
And I posted it, didn't really think anything of it, because at that point I had been posting for maybe uh two, three months.
00:24:00.799 --> 00:24:08.240
And then within a day, like my account grew from like 1,500 followers to like 5,000 followers.
00:24:08.480 --> 00:24:09.599
That's awesome, yeah.
00:24:09.680 --> 00:24:11.839
And and that's that's the crazy thing about it.
00:24:11.920 --> 00:24:20.799
And like, you know, you see like celebrities that have been in movies and they're like resharing your thing and they have millions of followers, so then it just spreads like wildfire.
00:24:21.039 --> 00:24:32.319
And then from there, that kind of taught me like, okay, like here here's ideas that work, and here's formulas or formats that actually will work with repli replication and duplication.
00:24:32.559 --> 00:24:41.839
Um, so now I'm sitting at, I think I just crossed over like 41,000 on Instagram, I'm sitting at 25,000 on TikTok and 21,000 on Facebook.
00:24:41.920 --> 00:24:43.039
Yeah, which is incredible.
00:24:43.359 --> 00:24:46.400
Well, you know, and I mean I'm sure I'm relative to where I was.
00:24:46.480 --> 00:24:47.279
That's the other thing, too.
00:24:47.359 --> 00:24:53.680
Like I said about plateaus, like I I'll I'll run into other comics and they've got 100,000, 800,000 followers.
00:24:53.839 --> 00:25:01.920
So again, there's always like another mountaintop to achieve, but it like you don't recognize where you're standing until you look back and see where you started.
00:25:02.240 --> 00:25:08.240
And I think there's something about something I I'm big into like mental health with comedy, like there's not a lot of mental health in comedy.
00:25:08.480 --> 00:25:10.960
No one's advocating for I've yet to see a therapist comic.
00:25:11.200 --> 00:25:14.240
So so they well, I'm big when I talk to comedians.
00:25:14.319 --> 00:25:17.519
Like, I don't think I get on stage and like, hey, this is something we should all talk about.
00:25:17.599 --> 00:25:18.400
Let's make jokes about it.
00:25:18.559 --> 00:25:22.720
But like I do think as comedians, we're sometimes our biggest critics.
00:25:22.880 --> 00:25:34.640
Like, we don't appreciate that you grew in 5,000 followers in one video because you in your head you see what other people have of bigger followings, and you're like, well, that's where I want to be, which is healthy and good to want to get grow.
00:25:34.799 --> 00:25:39.759
But like it's it's the balance between um your aspirations and being content.
00:25:39.920 --> 00:25:40.079
Yeah.
00:25:40.240 --> 00:25:42.160
Because if you're just content all the time, you're not gonna grow.
00:25:42.240 --> 00:25:42.480
Yeah.
00:25:42.640 --> 00:25:48.960
But if you're always banging your head against the wall of like, I have to be more, then you won't appreciate where you're where you're at.
00:25:49.200 --> 00:25:49.440
Right.
00:25:49.519 --> 00:25:52.960
And then you'll drive yourself crazy, and and um, which is not good.
00:25:53.039 --> 00:25:59.920
Um I hope people that listen to this appre uh appreciate the amount of work that you put into that, right?
00:26:00.160 --> 00:26:16.960
Because uh, we hear all the time in in comedy, and you you hear critics or other comedians who feel like they're not where they want to be, and they'll be like, oh, that person just got lucky with social media, or like they but like I've known and I and I used to be someone who's like, Man, I just need to get lucky with I just need one video to take off and whatever.
00:26:17.039 --> 00:26:27.920
Yeah, but and and there is like you said, there is a degree of luck, there is a rolling the dice, but before you're getting to that point, you're filming the video, you're posting the video, you have a schedule, you have a plan.
00:26:28.079 --> 00:26:30.720
How often do you post a day, if you don't mind me asking?
00:26:31.039 --> 00:26:37.839
Um, so right now I'm posting anywhere from two to three times a day.
00:26:38.079 --> 00:26:49.039
And sometimes, like some days, you know, I posted once today, and I I sometimes you just don't have it, like you don't have like the creative oomph to to to articulate something.
00:26:49.279 --> 00:27:08.960
Other times there's you don't don't feel like there's anything worth talking about, so you know you take days off, but um it was probably around March of this year I uh I had a video really take off, and it was just after I had gotten monetized on social media, and that that for me was motivation too, like okay, well now I have to post.
00:27:09.200 --> 00:27:13.759
Well, it's a it's a double-edged sword because on the one hand, yeah, it is a motivator.
00:27:13.920 --> 00:27:21.920
Like in in uh in the spring of this year, I had one month where I made like 1600 on Facebook and I made another$400 on TikTok.
00:27:22.000 --> 00:27:22.880
So that was rent.
00:27:23.039 --> 00:27:24.720
That was rent knocked out for a month.
00:27:24.880 --> 00:27:26.480
Like that's a great motivator.
00:27:26.640 --> 00:27:35.839
But on the other hand, you you run the risk like of getting tunnel vision, and you just feel like, oh, I have to post about something.
00:27:36.000 --> 00:27:37.519
Oh, that video didn't get views.
00:27:37.599 --> 00:27:39.440
All right, I need to do something crazier in the next video.
00:27:39.519 --> 00:27:41.200
I need to like, you know, yeah.
00:27:41.519 --> 00:27:53.599
The the it's very easy to lose sight of the goal, which is to express yourself and hopefully find people who are aligned with your audience in, you know, becoming like a clout chaser.
00:27:53.759 --> 00:28:12.319
Like I remember when I first saw, you know, that deposit into my bank account from social media posting, I understood clout chasers in a heartbeat because it's like, oh, you you get addicted not only to the attention and the engagement and people reacting to something you said, but there's also a paycheck attached to it.
00:28:12.720 --> 00:28:13.119
Yeah, yeah.
00:28:13.200 --> 00:28:14.640
Like you said, that's a rent paycheck.
00:28:14.720 --> 00:28:15.440
That's fantastic.
00:28:15.680 --> 00:28:16.000
Yeah.
00:28:16.240 --> 00:28:30.240
And so, you know, if you're not careful, I think it's very easy to like lose yourself into I'm just gonna do whatever's gonna get a reaction, I'm gonna rage bait, I'm gonna do, you know, whatever I can to try to get people to interact with my video.
00:28:30.480 --> 00:28:38.559
Because in in a lot of ways, social media is geared towards uh virality and people reacting.
00:28:38.720 --> 00:28:43.359
So if someone's commenting, ah, you suck in the comments, that's engagement.
00:28:43.440 --> 00:28:50.000
Yeah, you know, and and I think Facebook probably incentivizes that more than someone being like, that was a good video.
00:28:50.160 --> 00:28:50.480
Right.
00:28:50.640 --> 00:29:05.599
You know, so so you have to be careful in your dance with the machine now, like similar to the gatekeepers of old, you have to be careful with how you interact with this this technology because it's it's it will swallow you whole if you're not careful.
00:29:05.839 --> 00:29:06.079
Yeah.
00:29:06.319 --> 00:29:14.480
Um, have you thought about like your end game for comedy, like what you really want uh to accomplish with entertainment and like where you want to go, where you want to be.
00:29:14.720 --> 00:29:32.640
If if everything works according to plan, what's the I I mean right now I'm I'm at a place where I probably have you know 25 to 30 minutes that I I feel like I could get through that amount of time and not feel like I'm sputtering on stage.
00:29:32.880 --> 00:29:43.839
Um, so that's that's been the goal for like the for the most like the past four years is trying to get to a point where I'm competent and I can be on stage for an extended amount of time and be funny.
00:29:44.000 --> 00:29:56.960
Um beyond that, like the longer term goals, like on the one hand, you have like touring, like going around the country, going to different clubs and you know, entertaining different audiences every night.
00:29:57.119 --> 00:30:15.119
I've also heard a lot of comics who are in that position, they talk about ah, the road, you know, it's it's a lonely life, and you know, it's it's uh it's very demanding, and invariably they always seem to talk about how much your personal life uh gets traded off for that.
00:30:15.359 --> 00:30:22.799
So, you know, I'm in a position, you know, I've been with my my my fiance now for like eight years, and we have aspirations, you know.
00:30:22.880 --> 00:30:31.359
Obviously, we're we're trying to plan a wedding, and we've we've talked about, you know, we we want to have uh a good life, you know, we want to be there for each other.
00:30:31.680 --> 00:30:42.000
So my options there are to A, take her on the road with me, or B, be gone for a significant portion of the time uh if I'm that touring comic.
00:30:42.160 --> 00:30:44.319
So like that's kind of the pullback.
00:30:44.480 --> 00:30:53.920
Like, I I would love if I'd be presented with that conflict of like, all right, you got to choose do you want a home life or do you want uh to to be on the road?
00:30:54.079 --> 00:31:04.799
Um, but you know, if if that doesn't work, then I would love to see myself in more of like a comedic acting role where that's something I can kind of see like a little bit more balance more.
00:31:04.960 --> 00:31:07.279
Yeah, and you you have the skill set for it too.
00:31:07.359 --> 00:31:10.000
Like I feel like you have the training, you have the I'd like to think so.
00:31:10.640 --> 00:31:18.400
Yeah, like I I have the theater background, you know, a lot of comedians they start off doing stand-up comedy and then they get into acting, and that can work.
00:31:18.559 --> 00:31:27.200
Um, but I already have this theater training that like I I know how to be in a scene, I know how to take on different roles and different characters and different intentions.
00:31:27.440 --> 00:31:29.440
So I feel like I could play that.
00:31:29.599 --> 00:31:36.720
Um, but that's also like that's that removes the independence of comedy.
00:31:36.880 --> 00:31:39.039
Because in comedy, it's just you, you know.
00:31:39.200 --> 00:31:44.559
If you're if you're a touring comic and you have a sound system, you can do shows literally anywhere.
00:31:44.640 --> 00:31:47.359
You can just show up, plug in a microphone, and go.
00:31:47.519 --> 00:31:55.680
Like you're not reliant on other people, versus if you're on like a production, if you're doing like comedic, even in a stage play, right?
00:31:55.759 --> 00:31:58.880
You know, you have cast members, you have directors, you have designers.
00:31:59.119 --> 00:32:22.000
If you're in a production, then you're adherent to like, you know, and scene, you know, you you have to be reliant on other people, which I'm always fond of working with collectives, so I'm not really worried about that as much, but that I've been doing comedy now for four years, and I just haven't dedicated time to like uh film or or stage production.
00:32:22.240 --> 00:32:24.640
I mean, shift gears, um, I've told you this before.
00:32:24.799 --> 00:32:26.960
I am very impressed with your joke writing.
00:32:27.359 --> 00:32:31.519
And uh, and I mean this as a compliment, although I think this is the weirdest compliment to get.
00:32:31.680 --> 00:32:36.000
Like, it's been so cool to see you improve over the few years that I've known you.
00:32:36.160 --> 00:32:43.359
Um when you first started, uh you had clever puns, but that was like kind of your thing, you know?
00:32:43.599 --> 00:32:43.839
Right.
00:32:44.079 --> 00:32:51.519
So and now you now you do have jokes about issues, social issues, and then you you f turn and find a way to make it entertaining.
00:32:51.759 --> 00:32:57.279
And then my favorite is when you have jokes about so social issues that also involve puns.
00:32:57.359 --> 00:33:07.200
Uh you have a bit, I don't know if I'll be able to find it to put it on here for people to hear where uh you talk about like opening a uh a roll uh Oh yeah, the the gender roles bit.
00:33:07.440 --> 00:33:09.359
I thought that was that's that's one of my favorite bits.
00:33:09.440 --> 00:33:11.200
I kind of forget about it until till I hear it.
00:33:11.279 --> 00:33:12.319
I'm like, that's a good bit.
00:33:12.559 --> 00:33:13.759
Yeah, no, I like that one.
00:33:13.839 --> 00:33:14.960
It's still one of my favorites.
00:33:15.119 --> 00:33:25.200
Um so so is the question like how Yeah, so just talk about your joke writing process because that that that's uh an area you're a good writer, so I'd love to hear kind of Yeah.
00:33:25.279 --> 00:33:32.000
So like um, like you say, like I think the the first thing that I I sort of learned how to put together was the setup punchline.
00:33:32.240 --> 00:33:36.000
And to me, a punchline was just a pun and it was very rudimentary.
00:33:36.160 --> 00:33:45.440
It was like something clever, something that you know could could be construed either way, or or you know, something that kind of made the brain do a little mental glitch.
00:33:45.920 --> 00:33:57.759
Um, and that was I kind of stayed in that pocket for a long time because I didn't really know how to string together ideas, and so I would just do setup punchline, setup, punchline, setup, punchline.
00:33:57.920 --> 00:34:01.200
And it was a very um sort of early style of comedy.
00:34:01.440 --> 00:34:11.119
And then as I developed more, like I over time, you know, you you learn, okay, I have a joke about driving and I have a joke about GPS.
00:34:11.360 --> 00:34:13.440
I know these two ideas are related.
00:34:13.599 --> 00:34:17.679
Let me work on the connective tissue to sort of bring the two together.
00:34:17.840 --> 00:34:25.440
And that ends up being, you know, that turns two 30-second jokes into a minute and a half because you find that connective tissue.
00:34:25.599 --> 00:34:36.880
So, so yeah, over time, I think it just it got to a point where I in my joke writing, I was I was uh limited because my jokes were so short.
00:34:37.119 --> 00:34:45.360
And I could do like seven jokes in you know, five minutes, but that would be it, and I wouldn't have anything left to say.
00:34:45.599 --> 00:34:57.679
So, so now like I said earlier, I'm I'm trying to get to that place where I'm a little bit more playful, and the jokes that I'm saying, they kind of set up, you know, some kind of interaction with the audience or some kind of reaction that I can play off of.
00:34:57.920 --> 00:35:10.800
Um, and you know, you you're always like going through your brain of like trying to rack, okay, what are some experiences that I've had that are worth talking about, uh, whether it's anecdotes or you know, uh observances that you've made.
00:35:11.039 --> 00:35:21.199
Um I I I had I think it was like the hunting versus fishing bit that I wrote back in 23 when I was going to the juice pal mic.
00:35:21.440 --> 00:35:29.039
I remember um I had a uh a thought and it was a good point, but it wasn't a good joke yet.
00:35:29.199 --> 00:35:41.280
And I remember in a week, you know, I that I was really taking advantage of like going to the mics every single night of the week and like tinkering with it and playing with the joke, and it evolved from being like, here's a clever observation.
00:35:41.679 --> 00:35:44.880
Now, how do I word this so that it becomes a joke?
00:35:45.039 --> 00:35:56.719
And I remember it was at JuicePow because I had been working, I'd wrote the joke on like a Sunday, and I worked it Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and I had been working it, working it, working it, but it was still in that rigid form.
00:35:56.880 --> 00:36:02.239
And I remember Thursday night before I went up at JuicePowl, I was like in my head, just like, just tell the joke.
00:36:02.320 --> 00:36:07.280
Yeah, like don't feel like you have to say it word perfect, don't be script with it.
00:36:07.440 --> 00:36:09.760
Um, like just tell the joke.
00:36:10.000 --> 00:36:16.239
And it worked because I wasn't like thinking in my head of like, oh, I got to say this part next.
00:36:16.480 --> 00:36:27.119
Like instead, I was just in that sort of flow state for a minute of like, I know where I'm going with this, let me find the wording on the You were the entertainment, you knew like I know the entertaining part, and now I'm gonna share it.
00:36:27.360 --> 00:36:48.400
Yeah, so so I think now like that's been the most comfortable form of joke writing is like if if you have an observation that you feel is is valid or something that's you know a stone that hasn't been turned over a whole lot, you know, finding what is your point, and you should be able to articulate that in one sentence.
00:36:48.559 --> 00:36:48.880
Yeah.
00:36:49.039 --> 00:36:53.280
Um, being able to like take that point and make it funny.
00:36:53.440 --> 00:37:05.119
And the other thing, too, that I've I've learned to dial in on is when I first started out, I was so exposition heavy in my joke writing because I felt I had to explain everything and spoon feed it to the audience.
00:37:05.280 --> 00:37:12.159
The audience is smarter than you give them credit for, like they will follow you along if you are specific in your thought and you know what you're saying.
00:37:12.400 --> 00:37:24.880
So, so the technique I would use is a page paragraph punchline where if I had a joke or a thought I wanted to explore, I would write out everything that I could and like fill up the page with everything that I could talk about for that subject.
00:37:25.039 --> 00:37:31.280
And then I would read it through a few times and then I would go through a pen and like mark out everything, all the trim the fat, they call it.
00:37:31.440 --> 00:37:34.159
And I would try to get that whole joke down to a paragraph.
00:37:34.239 --> 00:37:41.280
And then like it's in its stage where I can kind of talk about it on stage, I can explore this idea, figure out what works and what doesn't.
00:37:41.440 --> 00:37:48.800
After I've done that for a few times, then once I know what the funny part of the joke is, what gets a reaction from people, then it's punchline.
00:37:48.960 --> 00:37:52.400
I'm trying to get that joke down to a setup punchline format.
00:37:52.559 --> 00:37:52.800
Yeah.
00:37:53.039 --> 00:37:56.159
Where here's here's the premise, here's what's funny.
00:37:56.400 --> 00:38:00.239
And if I can get it down to that, then I know it's a good joke.
00:38:00.400 --> 00:38:02.239
Like I know it's compact.
00:38:02.320 --> 00:38:04.400
You know, you you have to think of it like an elevator pitch.
00:38:04.480 --> 00:38:13.679
You know, if you have a minute to be funny, you you you want you don't you don't want to spend all day talking about like, oh, well, here I drive a truck and here's what a truck is.
00:38:13.760 --> 00:38:17.199
You know, you you gotta like jump to it because you will lose audiences.
00:38:17.440 --> 00:38:17.599
Yeah.
00:38:17.760 --> 00:38:29.199
I know for me when I'm putting together a set or like when I'm putting together like a special, it's like I spend the the majority of my uh anxiety and nerves about that is like what's my opening joke gonna be?
00:38:29.360 --> 00:38:31.599
That's because in my mind, that's like the most important.
00:38:31.679 --> 00:38:33.360
That's like Yeah, it sets the tone.
00:38:33.679 --> 00:38:36.719
Like I usually it takes me less time to figure out what my closing bit is.
00:38:37.199 --> 00:38:40.719
Because even though that's kind of also that's like your big, you know, hurrah.
00:38:40.880 --> 00:38:44.159
Like for me, the stress comes down to like what's that first joke you're gonna do?
00:38:44.559 --> 00:38:50.079
So let me ask, do you do you like reverse engineer like if you know your closing joke is gonna be this one?
00:38:50.320 --> 00:38:55.280
Do you sort of like, all right, well, I want to put this joke before that one, I'll put up this joke before that one.
00:38:55.519 --> 00:39:05.840
Um kind of it normally uh yeah, well, so you you do start I do start putting things together that match and uh hopefully it goes in a linear form to by the time it gets to the closing.
00:39:05.920 --> 00:39:06.239
Yeah.
00:39:06.400 --> 00:39:12.320
Um, but in the in the previous routines, it hasn't been all formed around the closing bit.
00:39:12.559 --> 00:39:12.800
Okay.
00:39:12.960 --> 00:39:27.519
Um it's been that's that's kind of the phase I'm in right now of trying to look at those longer sets and figure out all right, I have this much material, but it's figuring out the order of events to like coherently get through that amount of time.
00:39:27.840 --> 00:39:44.719
My my first one was easy because uh in that um everything it was called revolutionizing failure, and everything I talked about was like how um how like I would I would say it's self-deprecating, I would talk about a quality of myself and I make fun of it.
00:39:44.800 --> 00:39:47.280
And the last joke was always like, but here's when it's come in handy.
00:39:48.000 --> 00:39:48.960
Okay, so that's the term.
00:39:49.199 --> 00:39:49.440
Yep.
00:39:49.519 --> 00:40:01.360
And then I was able to um with that particular group of 30-minute jokes, I was able to at the end you know, kind of reference all the different things I had said and then wrap it up in my closing joke.
00:40:02.159 --> 00:40:05.519
So that one was nice because like it didn't matter what order I did it in.
00:40:05.679 --> 00:40:06.639
Um I could work.
00:40:07.360 --> 00:40:15.920
I feel like with a long set like that, you almost kind of have to like have a formula or a callback that that sort of like, like you say, wraps a nice button around the whole thing.
00:40:16.239 --> 00:40:18.079
For me, I usually have a theme around it.
00:40:18.159 --> 00:40:38.480
Uh and and it's not um, although my my last one, which was an hour, I finally looked at it and I was like, I like the other two, I felt like I was giving people a message by the like I was like, oh, this is like the first one was talking about like care loving yourself no matter what your flaws are, accepting the second one was really just me sharing my story of transitioning from full-time ministry to into full-time comedy.
00:40:38.880 --> 00:40:44.239
Um, and then the third one, which was the longest one, I I kept looking at it, be like, I don't know what I'm trying to tell.
00:40:44.320 --> 00:40:46.159
I'm just entertaining these are just jokes.
00:40:46.320 --> 00:40:47.440
These are yeah, so yeah.
00:40:47.599 --> 00:40:50.320
Maybe, maybe the overall thing because it's called actually funny.
00:40:50.480 --> 00:40:51.840
Maybe I was like, no, this one's good.
00:40:51.920 --> 00:40:54.559
Like this one will actually make you laugh.
00:40:54.719 --> 00:40:55.199
I don't know.
00:40:55.360 --> 00:41:04.960
Um, but yeah, so no, uh for me it's very helpful though the way I structure my longer routines is because you know, you have all these bits, you have all these routines.
00:41:05.119 --> 00:41:08.079
Uh the last joke always leads into my next joke.
00:41:08.719 --> 00:41:10.559
Okay, so there's always a transition, yeah.
00:41:10.800 --> 00:41:14.800
So and that helps me keep the memory of it, like keep it in memorized.
00:41:14.880 --> 00:41:27.280
Um, so like if I'm you know, I might do my youth pastor bit, um, and then uh that the then the last joke then it might lead me to talk about food starting with my Chick-fil-A jokes, because I think like youth pastor, Chick-fil-A, whatever.
00:41:27.519 --> 00:41:38.000
But then my doing all these jokes about how much I love eating or awkward food experiences, maybe it leads me to do jokes about like I have jokes about like how I'm a little bit bigger, like a little like so I have my fat jokes, and then and then that might lead.
00:41:38.079 --> 00:41:47.440
I might talk, I have a lot of different appearance related jokes, and so after doing fat jokes I can hit those, and then you know, so uh yeah, it's it that's that's how I remember things.
00:41:47.840 --> 00:41:48.800
Yeah, grouping ideas.
00:41:49.199 --> 00:41:49.360
Okay.
00:41:49.920 --> 00:41:59.039
Um, okay, so we uh I've asked you so many questions and I appreciate your answer then them, but now we're gonna enter the Ask a Comedian section of the podcast, which is Oh yeah, these are where I chose the numbers.
00:41:59.280 --> 00:42:02.000
Yeah, these yeah, you chose the numbers earlier uh for everyone listening.
00:42:02.079 --> 00:42:03.679
Uh first of all, thank you for still listening.
00:42:03.760 --> 00:42:04.639
You're here and we love it.
00:42:04.719 --> 00:42:05.440
We appreciate you.
00:42:05.599 --> 00:42:09.920
I I don't know if other podcasts do that, but usually in the middle of my podcast, I'm just like, hey, thanks for still being here.
00:42:10.239 --> 00:42:10.639
Yeah, yeah.
00:42:10.719 --> 00:42:13.760
I think it's good to ingratiate yourself with the listeners, let them know they're appreciated.
00:42:14.000 --> 00:42:15.360
We we love that you're still here.
00:42:15.519 --> 00:42:20.239
Um and uh we so the way it works is uh I'm gonna read a few questions.
00:42:20.320 --> 00:42:24.960
Uh uh Zach has picked numbers which dictated which questions I'm gonna ask before the podcast.
00:42:25.199 --> 00:42:35.280
And these are all questions that have been sent by viewers, listeners um on my own social media at Drew Davis Comedy on Threads and Instagram, and then also on my Facebook page, uh Facebook.com slash Drew Davis.
00:42:35.679 --> 00:42:37.280
And these are just general questions they send in.
00:42:37.360 --> 00:42:41.280
Um so yeah, so they I just tell them ask a comedian, ask any question you want.
00:42:41.360 --> 00:42:45.119
Um most of the times they have to deal with comedy.
00:42:45.280 --> 00:42:45.920
There has been a few.
00:42:46.239 --> 00:42:46.880
Other times they don't.
00:42:46.960 --> 00:42:51.039
They they don't do they do the if they don't win, do they get uh put into the next round?
00:42:51.199 --> 00:42:52.000
Oh yeah, absolutely.
00:42:52.079 --> 00:42:55.119
I just keep a list going and I just Because you said what, 38 questions?
00:42:56.000 --> 00:42:57.119
That was a very specific number.
00:42:57.360 --> 00:43:02.000
So yeah, so now it's you know 35 for the next send send Drew more questions.
00:43:02.079 --> 00:43:03.440
We need to get that number up to 50.
00:43:03.679 --> 00:43:07.119
I do, I do uh when it starts getting low, I'll I'll I'll uh ask you.
00:43:07.280 --> 00:43:08.000
You'll do a few write-ins.
00:43:08.559 --> 00:43:10.239
Once I write questions.
00:43:10.320 --> 00:43:11.280
This is what I want to know.
00:43:11.519 --> 00:43:15.360
About once a month I post my things, and I'm like, hey, send me more questions.
00:43:15.519 --> 00:43:20.000
But just so you all know, you can just shoot us a message with a question if you have one.
00:43:20.159 --> 00:43:26.239
In any no matter how you're listening to this podcast, there's a send mail option and it will send us a comment where you can ask a question.
00:43:26.400 --> 00:43:29.039
If you're on YouTube, it's a little bit easier to just drop a comment.
00:43:29.199 --> 00:43:36.880
Um, I've had people just email me questions before, so feel free to just, you know, if you know me, you can ask me and I'll write it down on my phone app, you know.
00:43:36.960 --> 00:43:41.679
So um okay, so this uh first question came from Joe Hoftwell on Facebook.
00:43:41.760 --> 00:43:43.199
He's uh he's a fellow comedian.
00:43:43.519 --> 00:43:48.960
And he said, uh, what's your best advice for a new comic who wants to work clean?
00:43:49.280 --> 00:43:50.719
Oh, who wants to work clean.
00:43:50.960 --> 00:43:54.480
I think it's funny that we haven't talked much about clean comedy in the clean comedy chat.
00:43:54.719 --> 00:43:55.519
I mean, I feel bad.
00:43:55.599 --> 00:43:58.320
Like I I know this is part of your like your clean comedy collective.
00:43:58.559 --> 00:44:01.440
I don't know that my Definitely not political stuff is clean.
00:44:01.519 --> 00:44:02.639
I've been told that before.
00:44:03.119 --> 00:44:06.480
I would, I would, um, I would push back on that a little bit.
00:44:06.639 --> 00:44:06.800
Yeah.
00:44:06.960 --> 00:44:07.119
Yeah.
00:44:07.199 --> 00:44:08.079
So here's my opinion.
00:44:08.159 --> 00:44:09.199
Oh, I have heard that too.
00:44:09.280 --> 00:44:14.159
I've heard like because part of sometimes people say like avoid controversial things.
00:44:14.320 --> 00:44:16.079
So religion, race, political.
00:44:16.480 --> 00:44:17.519
Anything that's gonna upset someone.
00:44:17.840 --> 00:44:18.000
Right.
00:44:18.079 --> 00:44:27.280
So um it's but here's the thing, um depending on your audience, those people not might not be offended by your political joke.
00:44:27.599 --> 00:44:30.719
To me, not uh to me, clean comedy is non-offensive comedy.
00:44:31.360 --> 00:44:38.960
So, like, for example, I worked with a client one time who was getting ready to do jokes for like he worked, he was doing jokes at like a Republican conference.
00:44:39.360 --> 00:44:44.079
So, like all of his Republican jokes they're gonna be great.
00:44:44.320 --> 00:44:45.280
You gotta read the room, yeah.
00:44:45.440 --> 00:44:52.880
Yeah, uh it was it was weird because I'm I I I'm real I'm not dem I'm not a Democrat, but I feel like I'm really not a Republican.
00:44:52.960 --> 00:44:53.920
Like, I feel like I'm not either.
00:44:54.400 --> 00:44:56.559
Yeah, I feel like you lay more liberal and progressive.
00:44:56.880 --> 00:45:03.599
So like I'm sitting here trying to help him with these jokes, and I'm like, ugh, I hate this, but like here's a here's how they're gonna eat it up.
00:45:04.559 --> 00:45:09.119
And so, but in that case, his political jokes were not offensive at all.
00:45:09.280 --> 00:45:10.239
Totally the room for it.
00:45:10.320 --> 00:45:13.920
I mean, it's literally a polit political, you know, event.
00:45:14.159 --> 00:45:14.480
Yeah.
00:45:14.639 --> 00:45:23.280
And like, or maybe you go to a church that leans more conservative and it's a church, a church clean show, but like they are gonna all love those kind of jokes, you know.
00:45:23.360 --> 00:45:23.519
Yeah.
00:45:23.679 --> 00:45:27.599
So is it goes back to knowing your audience and knowing, you know?
00:45:28.079 --> 00:45:30.000
Yeah, I guess that's the best way to answer.
00:45:30.079 --> 00:45:31.599
Like, if uh what's his Joe?
00:45:31.840 --> 00:45:32.320
Joe, yeah.
00:45:32.480 --> 00:45:32.639
Joe.
00:45:32.800 --> 00:45:40.559
So Joe, I would say like the the biggest thing is comedy like cleanliness in comedy is very subjective.
00:45:40.719 --> 00:45:48.480
Like not everyone's gonna find the same joke offensive, not everyone's gonna find like be, you know, torn apart, uh offended by a joke.
00:45:48.639 --> 00:45:53.039
So if you want to like do clean comedy, then do that.
00:45:53.199 --> 00:46:00.559
Like uh, like I said earlier, you know, it's very easy to say something shocking to get a reaction, like shock humor.
00:46:00.639 --> 00:46:04.880
That's that's out there, and there are some people that uh build a career off of it.
00:46:04.960 --> 00:46:07.679
So like you can't knock it because some people are willing to pay for it.
00:46:07.840 --> 00:46:08.159
Absolutely.
00:46:08.400 --> 00:46:17.679
Um, that being said, you know, if your goal is to do comedy and not offend anyone, uh good luck.
00:46:17.920 --> 00:46:25.679
Um but I would start with like uh things like I think a lot of comedy comes from frustration.
00:46:25.840 --> 00:46:35.039
Like you you you have an issue or something that you you're up against, you can't like uh you you can't control it, so you you want to talk about it and share it.
00:46:35.119 --> 00:46:37.199
That's that's that's a universal feeling.
00:46:37.519 --> 00:46:53.840
So rather than try to like uh personify that frustration and point it at, I don't like this group or I don't like this thing, make it um make it something like you know, being stuck in traffic or something that we've all dealt with that no one likes.
00:46:54.000 --> 00:46:57.039
And if you can't, you know, dial in on that, do puns.
00:46:57.280 --> 00:46:59.440
You know, puns are always there, puns are your friend.
00:46:59.599 --> 00:47:00.239
Yeah, I love that.
00:47:00.480 --> 00:47:02.000
When all fellas do a good pun.
00:47:02.320 --> 00:47:03.679
Yeah, that's that's my recipe.
00:47:03.920 --> 00:47:04.960
All right, so cool.
00:47:05.280 --> 00:47:08.320
This question came from Threads from Jay Amaki.
00:47:08.960 --> 00:47:17.039
Um actually, we were kind of just talking about this, and I I feel like I shared my style of organization, but maybe you can share more about your own.
00:47:17.199 --> 00:47:22.880
Uh, how do you organize and um memorize your material?
00:47:23.440 --> 00:47:36.159
Um, so organization, uh, like I said, is like where if you have a joke and you've written out the joke um and it's standing on its own, figure out what I am talking about.
00:47:36.400 --> 00:47:37.920
And you know, it could be anything.
00:47:38.079 --> 00:47:43.039
It could be, you know, cooking a meal, it could be good walking your dog or relationships.
00:47:43.199 --> 00:47:47.679
I feel like there's there's a few topics that often get covered in comedy.
00:47:47.760 --> 00:47:54.800
Um, relationships is one, um, religion is a big one, uh, politics or political leanings.
00:47:54.960 --> 00:48:00.960
Like, again, though those aren't really clean topics per se, um, but you can have a clean take on any of those.
00:48:01.280 --> 00:48:09.119
So as far as how you organize your bits, you know, figure out which jokes are the same shade, are the same uh palette.
00:48:09.679 --> 00:48:16.880
And once you know, like, oh, I've got two or three jokes about driving, well, figure out how to like word those together.
00:48:17.039 --> 00:48:26.480
Figure out, yeah, you know, one one about starting your car up, one about working on your car, or go into the mechanic, you know, that's three different topics, but they're all automobile related.
00:48:26.639 --> 00:48:36.800
And if you just add like one sentence in between the punchline and the setup of those jokes, then you can get the audience to go on board uh between topics.
00:48:37.039 --> 00:48:42.559
Um, as far as how to memorize your material, I mean, it's good to write things out.
00:48:42.719 --> 00:48:52.880
I have I have learned that you don't want to write it out word for word like you would, like if you were saying it on stage, because then you'll get tripped up trying to say it word perfect.
00:48:53.119 --> 00:49:03.519
Instead, you can write like headlines or bullet points um to get you through the thoughts that like set up, deliver the punchline, and add a tag.
00:49:03.920 --> 00:49:09.119
And then um I really I'm I'm I'm more of an auditory learner.
00:49:09.360 --> 00:49:14.639
So for me, if I have a new joke that I'm trying out, I will probably take my phone.
00:49:14.719 --> 00:49:17.920
I'll always I'm always recording my sets, uh audio.
00:49:18.079 --> 00:49:25.440
Um if I'll I'll try to get through it as best I can on stage, and you know, I might look at my notes just to sort of like get through it.
00:49:25.519 --> 00:49:34.559
But then once I have it record it, I have a recording of my voice saying it, then and I can record like know where the audience reacted to it or where they fell off completely.
00:49:35.119 --> 00:49:39.440
And once I can listen to that, then that gets lodged in my brain a lot quicker.
00:49:39.599 --> 00:49:39.760
Yeah.
00:49:39.920 --> 00:49:43.599
So uh repetition, that's that's the most sincere thing.
00:49:43.840 --> 00:49:50.800
And it also I feel like the more you do it, the more you learn how you learn, the more you figure out what works for you as you're doing it.
00:49:50.880 --> 00:49:51.039
Yeah.
00:49:51.199 --> 00:49:57.280
Um, and I thought about something when you're talking about like organizing material and finding uh similar jokes to put together in like a bit.
00:49:57.519 --> 00:50:06.880
Sometimes the more you do it, like you might do a you might have a bit and maybe maybe you try it for a few weeks and you're like, ah, whatever, it's it's not really going great or whatever.
00:50:07.039 --> 00:50:16.079
And then like years later, you write a different bit, and then you think, I think I had a joke from years ago that would fit that.
00:50:16.239 --> 00:50:19.440
And then you take something from many years ago and you put it in.
00:50:19.599 --> 00:50:22.159
So like yeah, for me, like tease it up a little bit better.
00:50:22.400 --> 00:50:25.039
For me, when I first started, I had jokes about Kesha.
00:50:25.760 --> 00:50:27.840
Um and like real topical.
00:50:27.920 --> 00:50:28.639
Yeah, real topic.
00:50:28.800 --> 00:50:31.280
It it you know, 2023, 2024.
00:50:31.519 --> 00:50:34.960
It was oh no, gosh, that's not even like 2012 to 2014, wasn't it?
00:50:35.199 --> 00:50:36.079
Yeah, that's a decade ago.
00:50:36.719 --> 00:50:42.559
Well, that's depressing, but um, but uh yeah, so I I had jokes and like they were fine.
00:50:42.639 --> 00:50:48.719
I I think a few of them were keepers, but then eventually uh because it was probably topical, I didn't feel I needed to talk about Kesha all the time.
00:50:48.880 --> 00:51:07.440
Um but we um but we did we went to the same high school, and then so then I later, like a few years ago, wrote like a bit about being in a band in high school and and it was musical related, and there was like a Kesha joke that I did from years ago that fit with that bit.
00:51:07.599 --> 00:51:07.920
Yeah.
00:51:08.079 --> 00:51:10.880
And it was funny because it was like an eight-year gap.
00:51:11.199 --> 00:51:13.360
But then I was like, oh, this joke will actually go in.
00:51:13.440 --> 00:51:18.960
So sometimes you might write a set and might be like, I don't know about the set, and you're actually giving yourself something years later.
00:51:19.199 --> 00:51:25.679
Yeah, and I think that's like credit to the idea of you always want to be writing because you never know which joke is gonna be.
00:51:25.840 --> 00:51:32.239
Uh, like it's it it it they're all like puzzle pieces, and eventually it's going to fit into a bigger picture.
00:51:32.400 --> 00:51:38.400
For me, you know, I had written a joke about the the Ten Commandments being posted in all the classrooms.
00:51:38.639 --> 00:51:41.920
And at the time it worked, it still works, it's a good joke.
00:51:42.079 --> 00:51:48.880
But one of the newer jokes I wrote um was uh about um polymarket betting.
00:51:49.039 --> 00:51:56.880
And at the very end of that, I talk about how you know you can bet on whether or not Jesus is coming back um uh in 2026.
00:51:57.360 --> 00:52:07.679
And you know, I I ended that joke and I knew I wanted to close on Classroom Commandments, but on stage I found just the transition of like, oh, it's been a big year for religion.
00:52:07.840 --> 00:52:10.400
Uh, and then that just naturally transitioned.
00:52:10.559 --> 00:52:17.360
So, like, the more you play around with like this joke goes here, I'm gonna start with this joke, no, I'll end with it this time.
00:52:17.440 --> 00:52:32.960
Like, that's the other thing I would say is like don't be afraid to take your set apart and think about it like different pieces and restructure it because you'll find on stage, like, oh, I can transition much better between this idea and this idea.
00:52:33.280 --> 00:52:46.320
And yet, but the importance that break comes back to like making sure you have a well-defined punchline, a short setup and a punchline because that makes it easier than if you have to move a whole like paragraph or a whole page of a yeah.
00:52:46.639 --> 00:52:48.159
So, yeah, so that's um okay.
00:52:48.320 --> 00:52:48.880
Last question.
00:52:48.960 --> 00:52:52.320
This comes from uh Tabaret uh McCoy um on Facebook.
00:52:52.480 --> 00:52:58.719
He says, uh, do you find it harder to be funny when you're going through personal stress or is the stage your outlet?
00:52:59.280 --> 00:53:01.599
That's like a deep, like that's a deep yeah.
00:53:01.679 --> 00:53:03.760
I'm I'm gonna reflect on this one for a minute.
00:53:03.920 --> 00:53:06.559
Um the other one's like, here, just answer this.
00:53:06.719 --> 00:53:08.639
And this one's like your soul.
00:53:09.119 --> 00:53:09.920
I don't know, man.
00:53:10.079 --> 00:53:16.320
Like early on, I remember one of the comics uh in Memphis telling me, like, you gotta get up every night.
00:53:16.400 --> 00:53:21.760
Like you gotta get up on stage, and whether you've had a bad day or you're feeling burnt out.
00:53:21.920 --> 00:53:25.199
And I remember thinking, like, that is the dumbest thing I've ever heard.
00:53:25.440 --> 00:53:34.800
Like, I think there's some benefit to going on stage if you are not feeling great, because it's sort of like it's it's like working out when you don't feel 100%.
00:53:35.199 --> 00:53:43.360
Like you will get stronger, but you do run the risk of like crashing and burning or or just being completely shot.
00:53:43.679 --> 00:53:48.880
So, you know, if if comedy is an outlet for you, that's cool.
00:53:49.199 --> 00:53:55.280
But I think you and I have both been there when people have said on stage, this is my therapy.
00:53:55.519 --> 00:53:58.800
It's like and my response to that is always, you should go to therapy.
00:53:59.039 --> 00:53:59.519
Absolutely.
00:53:59.679 --> 00:54:00.400
This isn't that.
00:54:00.559 --> 00:54:03.360
Like, we're here to joke, we're here to tell funny jokes.
00:54:03.440 --> 00:54:05.440
And if you can make your pain funny, great.
00:54:05.599 --> 00:54:06.480
Yeah, that's fine.
00:54:06.559 --> 00:54:07.440
I want to hear it.
00:54:07.679 --> 00:54:17.599
But you know, if you're just up there trauma dumping on people and you don't have a punchline, you're just, you know, holding up a part of your life and saying, Isn't this messed up?
00:54:17.840 --> 00:54:19.760
They're like, Yeah, but why are you telling us?
00:54:19.920 --> 00:54:21.840
Yeah, like we're not professionals, dude.
00:54:21.920 --> 00:54:23.599
You should you should take this to a pro.
00:54:23.920 --> 00:54:34.719
Um, so yeah, I I think I think there there are minimal returns to uh being out of sorts and going on stage.
00:54:35.039 --> 00:54:38.320
And you you I'm not saying you can't get anything out of it.
00:54:38.400 --> 00:54:41.840
And I know some people, it's their outlet, and I wouldn't want to deprive them of that.
00:54:42.000 --> 00:54:50.960
I'm more of the mindset of you you you shouldn't try to do it all the time every night because you'll get burnt out and you're not living a life.
00:54:51.519 --> 00:54:52.400
Sometimes you need to break.
00:54:52.559 --> 00:54:53.920
A break can make you a lot better.
00:54:54.079 --> 00:54:54.719
You do need a break.
00:54:55.039 --> 00:55:00.000
I'm more of the camp of like, if you're not feeling great, there's no shame and missing a mic.
00:55:00.079 --> 00:55:02.159
Now, if you have a book show, go do a show.
00:55:02.320 --> 00:55:10.639
And I would even go so far as to say if you know you have a booked show on Saturday, maybe hit the mics like Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, but take Friday off.
00:55:10.800 --> 00:55:15.119
Go see a movie, go go to the library, read a book, you know, go on a date or something.
00:55:15.280 --> 00:55:18.159
That way you'll Okay, well, that one's a little bit harder for some.
00:55:18.559 --> 00:55:21.360
Well, I'm just speaking of my experience, folks.
00:55:22.960 --> 00:55:28.079
Uh yeah, like take care of yourself so that when you go on stage, you're able to be fun for the audience.
00:55:28.320 --> 00:55:29.119
I think that's wonderful.
00:55:29.199 --> 00:55:31.840
I also for me, it's also um important.
00:55:32.159 --> 00:55:39.360
I like to be aware of how I'm feeling, and that sometimes dicks t dictates the jokes I do.
00:55:39.760 --> 00:55:43.679
Um that's because I have enough material where I can shift, like, oh, these are the things that you can do.
00:55:43.840 --> 00:55:48.000
You have enough to pick from where you know like these are my sad jokes, these are my happy jokes.
00:55:49.039 --> 00:55:49.440
That's fun.
00:55:49.679 --> 00:55:59.599
And I don't um I don't know if I've talked about this on this podcast yet, but I do have a uh like a comedy superpower, or like I don't know if you're a geek into like Final Fantasy, but I do have like a limit break with comedy.
00:55:59.679 --> 00:56:02.639
I don't know if that makes that might have been the limit break.
00:56:02.719 --> 00:56:05.039
I get that that's the Final Fantasy term, but I don't know what that means.
00:56:05.599 --> 00:56:09.039
Someone listening's like, wow, what a great Oh my god, he's talking about it.
00:56:09.280 --> 00:56:13.519
But um for whatever next podcast is Final Fantasy discussions.
00:56:13.920 --> 00:56:14.960
I think I would love that.
00:56:15.039 --> 00:56:18.559
That would be a great I would I'd there's a community out there for it, I'm sure.
00:56:18.880 --> 00:56:22.719
So I uh here and here's the re I'll I'll give you the reason why.
00:56:22.880 --> 00:56:29.199
I am constantly always wanting to please everyone, always like so much anxiety of like saying the right thing or like all that.
00:56:29.280 --> 00:56:34.960
Like it's it's it's it I don't even think about it, but it's always in the back of my head, even when I'm on stage, right?
00:56:35.440 --> 00:56:48.159
When I the I am my funniest when I'm uh a little pissed off because what happens is I don't care about anybody when I'm in a certain mood.
00:56:48.239 --> 00:56:53.519
Yeah, and then I've and my delivery is I I've just it's it's always been this way.
00:56:53.679 --> 00:56:59.280
But here's the thing I've learned I can't fake it, I can't try I try to put myself in that mind.
00:56:59.599 --> 00:57:09.599
It just there is it, and so there's been times where I've had a really annoying day, and I'm yeah, I need to go perform because I know I'll do great.
00:57:09.840 --> 00:57:14.320
That being said, if it's like too much, like I remember I did have like a personal tragedy, yeah.
00:57:14.400 --> 00:57:17.760
That's but then I had to I had a booked show, so I was like well, I gotta go perform.
00:57:17.840 --> 00:57:21.039
It was a comedy contest, and so I went and I sucked.
00:57:21.199 --> 00:57:23.360
And I was like, I mean, it makes sense.
00:57:23.440 --> 00:57:24.719
This has been a terrible day.
00:57:25.039 --> 00:57:31.199
Yeah, it's it's a very fine balance, like that that that rocket fuel of your emotions.
00:57:31.280 --> 00:57:38.960
Because yeah, I mean, I I've talked to comics around the Nashville scene, and one in particular, I've told him like you are at your funniest when you are frustrated.
00:57:39.119 --> 00:57:48.480
Yeah, and and that that can work, but that's that's like in the same line as like, oh, if you have a beer before you go on stage, it'll loosen the wheels.
00:57:48.639 --> 00:57:53.280
Like, yeah, yeah, that can work, but I don't think that needs to be the technique.
00:57:53.599 --> 00:57:56.400
That's not that's not I don't want that to be like here's what you need to do.
00:57:56.559 --> 00:57:58.960
If one beer helps them, only seven, let me do seven being.
00:57:59.039 --> 00:57:59.920
Let me do seven beers.
00:58:00.239 --> 00:58:01.679
I'm gonna be hilarious after this.
00:58:02.239 --> 00:58:09.599
Yeah, I don't think you need to like go read comments before you go on stage to get pissed off about what's going on.
00:58:09.840 --> 00:58:18.079
Um I think I think like anything else, like if you if you train with weights on, you're you're gonna train different muscle groups, you're gonna get stronger.
00:58:18.239 --> 00:58:28.320
So if you if you practice going on stage when you're not in the best mood, you might get a little bit stronger uh than you would otherwise, or by depriving yourself of that experience.
00:58:28.639 --> 00:58:33.519
Or then, you know, we don't want to forget about the enjoyment, personal enjoyment that comes with comedy.
00:58:33.679 --> 00:58:38.320
Sometimes I go up there and I perform and I leave feeling better, like, oh, I'm glad I did that.
00:58:38.480 --> 00:58:38.639
Yeah.
00:58:38.800 --> 00:58:44.960
So yeah, now that that's another universal thing is you can definitely go up there and feel a lot better having done the thing.
00:58:45.119 --> 00:58:45.440
Yeah.
00:58:45.599 --> 00:58:46.639
So we're cool.
00:58:46.800 --> 00:58:49.119
Zach, thanks so much for being on this podcast.
00:58:49.360 --> 00:58:49.760
Yeah, man.
00:58:49.840 --> 00:58:50.320
Thanks for having me.
00:58:50.559 --> 00:58:54.320
I I I thought it might be weird if we didn't talk about Fast and Fears, but I think we made it work.
00:58:54.480 --> 00:58:56.079
Like, I think I think we found a good balance.
00:58:56.320 --> 00:58:57.360
We did, we did okay.
00:58:57.519 --> 00:59:00.159
Um, I you know, next time I'm like, hey, do you want to be on the podcast?
00:59:00.320 --> 00:59:01.119
He's like, what movie?
00:59:01.280 --> 00:59:03.679
Because I'm not just gonna talk to you about comedy again.
00:59:03.760 --> 00:59:04.800
So this is good.
00:59:04.880 --> 00:59:05.519
Oh, I like this.
00:59:05.679 --> 00:59:06.639
Thanks for having me on.
00:59:06.800 --> 00:59:08.320
Um, is it okay if I plug stuff?
00:59:08.480 --> 00:59:11.039
Yes, this is your time to plug whatever you want to plug.
00:59:11.280 --> 00:59:11.679
Awesome.
00:59:11.760 --> 00:59:17.840
So you can find me on Instagram, TikTok at Zach Williams Comedy, Z-A-C-H Williams Comedy, all one word.
00:59:17.920 --> 00:59:19.840
I'm also Zach Williams on Facebook.
00:59:20.000 --> 00:59:24.800
Um, big thing that I want to promote is in Memphis we have the Pitt Comedy Club.
00:59:24.880 --> 00:59:30.239
Uh that will be coming up in September 16th, I want to say is our first show.
00:59:30.400 --> 00:59:32.559
But we're doing weekly shows on Thursdays.
00:59:32.639 --> 00:59:37.840
We're gonna have touring comics from all over the country coming to Memphis performing live stand-up comedy.
00:59:37.920 --> 00:59:39.519
Um, I'll be hosting sometimes.
00:59:39.599 --> 00:59:43.440
Uh, other times it'll be Ryan Bush, Colt Nails, or Charlie Virgos.
00:59:43.519 --> 00:59:46.480
Uh so yeah, come to the Pitt Comedy Club if you're in Memphis.
00:59:46.559 --> 00:59:52.559
If you're a comic who would like to come perform in Memphis, shoot me a DM, shoot me a tape, um, and we'll see if we can get you in.
00:59:52.719 --> 00:59:54.079
Uh otherwise, this has been great.
00:59:54.159 --> 00:59:54.559
Thank you so much.
00:59:54.800 --> 00:59:55.440
Thanks for doing this.
00:59:55.519 --> 00:59:58.880
Uh, and I'll I'll do the same old plugs Clean Comedy Collective.
00:59:58.960 --> 01:00:02.559
Find us on Instagram, find us on Facebook, cleancomedycollective.com.
01:00:02.639 --> 01:00:04.159
That's where you can listen to earlier episodes.
01:00:04.239 --> 01:00:11.679
That's where you can click uh the comedians and then Tennessee and find me and Zach and follow our all of our stuff, although all of his stuff is in the notes.
01:00:11.760 --> 01:00:14.480
So you can just scroll down and click that if you want.
01:00:14.719 --> 01:00:17.760
Um, and also that's where you can listen to previous episodes.
01:00:17.840 --> 01:00:21.679
That's where you can donate if you want to join Patreon or if you just want to give us money to help support what we're doing.
01:00:21.840 --> 01:00:24.719
We're building a virtual networking community across the country.
01:00:24.880 --> 01:00:29.280
We currently have about 250 comedians from 39 states and one from Switzerland.
01:00:29.440 --> 01:00:31.840
Um we're international now.
01:00:32.159 --> 01:00:32.800
Oh nice.
01:00:33.280 --> 01:00:36.639
Um, and then uh, but yeah, uh come back next week.
01:00:36.719 --> 01:00:39.119
We'll have a different comedian uh that we'll be having a chat with.
01:00:39.199 --> 01:00:40.880
And thank you as always for listening.
01:00:40.960 --> 01:00:42.239
And I hope you guys have a great week.
01:00:42.400 --> 01:00:42.960
All right, bye.