Rob Delaney 05/15/2009
 
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Next Saturday, comedian Rob Delaney swings on down to Boston for a show at the Calderwood Pavillion along with Renata Tutko. Rob was kind enough to allow me to interview him in the week leading up to the show. A Boston native, Rob now travels the country as a professional funnyman. We sat down and quickly shot the breeze about life, comedy, and dragons.

 

-How about a little about yourself: you’re from Massachusetts, correct?

Yes, I was born in Boston and grew up in Marblehead.  

-You went to school at NYU. When did you start doing stand up? Before you were in New York or after you had gotten there?

I actually started doing standup after college, in LA.  My first set was about five years ago in LA at the ImprovOlympic.

-What drove you back to do a show in Boston?

It's my home so I try to perform there as often as possible. 

-How did Renata Tutko get involved?

She hosted a show at the Comedy Studio that I did and I thought she was very funny.  So I asked her to do my show.   She is Polish.

 -Now you’ve pointed out on the Kvetch Board (the Comedy Studio message board used by Boston comedians to network and p that Spinal Tap will also be in town that night. Is there anything you would like to say to them? A challenge, as it were?

I would like to say thank you for the inspiration over the years.  The many, many years you've been alive.  Collectively it's about 260 years.  So you're very old and I hope you don't die soon. 

-Let’s jump for a moment. What is it like working the West Coast as compared to the East Coast? Is there any difference at all?

In my opinion, there is no difference between coasts, really. We all watch the same TV shows, have access to the same things, so a distinction based on coasts would be way too huge.

-How about the difference between something like the UCB and the Improv? Do you find that you have more freedom in alternative venues?

I am strongly of the opinion that funny is funny, be it at a big comedy club or a small venue that is considered alternative.  To use 2 Boston-bred comedians, I have seen Bill Burr & Louis CK murder audiences at the Improv & the UCB using essentially the same material.  Now each and every AUDIENCE is certainly unique and demands respect and consideration.  You have to listen to them because any good show is a transaction between you and them.  But I sure don't have alternative room material and then club material.  I just try to tell the truth.  It is funny that this is such a huge topic of conversation on message boards.  The people I truly admire work very hard and are funny in either environment.  A truly funny joke will earn laughs whether it's at the Laugh Factory or a fly by night show in the back of a hipster bar.

-We met through AST. How do you feel about the internet as a tool for comedians? Are there any down sides to the immediacy that the internet offers?

In 2009, the internet is just a part of the deal.  It's not good or bad, it just is.  I say that because people in 1974 or 1990 were just as funny, they just used telephones and their feet to generate work.  Downsides?  Sure; there's shit out there that I've done that is just shamefully, disgustingly bad that will be bouncing off satellites for eons that I wish did not exist.  But the good news is that it helps you learn to say "No" to things earlier in your career that will probably suck.  It keeps you humble though to know that there is just embarrassing shit trash that anyone can summon with the greatest ease.  That said, people I've never heard of have contacted me and offered me wonderful jobs and stuff that I have enjoyed tremendously.  So on the whole, I enjoy the internet for comedy and and also for jewish girl porn. 

 -Would you rather have a pet dragon that could fly you anywhere but could not talk or a pet dolphin that COULD talk but could only take you to any place with water?

I would rather have the dolphin and I would make it take me to the women's steamroom at the JCC. 

-Any last thoughts? Words of wisdom? Death threats? Random musings?

Thank you for talking to me.  My shows are at 7 & 9 pm at the Calderwood Pavilion on Saturday May 23.  You can get tickets here: http://www.bostontheatrescene.com/season/production.aspx?id=7265&src=t or by calling 617-933-8600  If you use the code BABIES, you can get tickets for half price
 
 

Today, I was able to get in touch with alternative comics Eugene Mirman and Todd Barry as they were on a Virgin America flight to San Francisco. Miraculously discovering that they had internet access on the plan, they logged onto  the interwebs. I was able to get a quick interview session in with the pair.

So, without further adieu, here is my impromptu interview with Eugen Mirman and Todd Barry (sort of).

-What does the moniker of "alternative comedy" mean to both of you?

Todd is sleeping but I will answer your questions. I think alternative comedy is similar to "alternative music" or "modern rock" — it started as an alternative to mainstream, but eventually just became a genre. Nirvana is alternative, but also mainstream. Also, it comes from doing comedy in spaces that are alternatives to comedy clubs.


-What do see for the immediate future of stand up?

I don't know. I think people will keep being insecure but promiscuous. Standup comedy is in a great place right now. Because of weird cable channels, the ability to put out albums, and the internet, it's pretty easy to make stuff and get it. But there are a lot of great people don't great stuff. And though there are also terrible people making terrible comedy, that doesn't matter. Because there's now ways for people to have niches and it's not just up to one network who succeeds.

-Which of you would win in a sword duel on top of a mountain?

Though Todd is sleeping, I think we would both agree that I would win. He may end up disagreeing, but I am very good with a katana. Plus I can turn invisible. Watch. See I just did it! Pretty neat. I'm going back to working now. Bye bye.

 
Doug Benson 12/03/2008
 

Seeing how I was able to get in touch with Eugene Mirman, I thought I would try with other comedians through the magical portal which is the internet. I set my sights on the amazingly fun (and perpetually high) Doug Benson who is fresh of the release of his first comedy CD Professional Humoredian. I got to ask him a pair of questions and while his responses were not as detailed as Eugene's, I think they still offer insight into the comedy process.

Obviously these are all personal answer from the comedians. These are not ground rules or requirements. Comedy has no rules, only a desired result. But, to be good you should study those who are good at their art.


-Which came first for you? Finding jokes you really liked or finding a style which you really liked?

jokes, for sure. i haven't really found a style yet.

-Is is more important to tailor you material to the audience you are playing or is it more important to just do what you want and just be confident? Better said: Should you do something even if you think it might not suit the audience (as long as you do it a confidently) or should you edit?

certain adjustments can be made for specific audiences, but unless your act is mostly improvised, you need jokes that will work everywhere. of course there are exceptions, but as i travel from state to state, most of the jokes in my act work most of the time. confidence is important, but the thing that can give you that confidence is having material you are pretty sure is gonna work

-Thanks Doug. Best of luck in all endevours.

ALL endevours? thanks!


 
Eugene Mirman 11/22/2008
 

Got in touch with the fantastically funny Eugene Mirman. He's a huge influence on me and my comic sensibility. With a big Boston show on the horizon for next week and some questions about how to proceed with stand up while at college, I queried a few questions to him and got a very generous response which I would like to share with all of you.

-What is the best way to organize your own comedy show, especially in a college setting? Is it just a matter of claiming a room, setting up the PA, and giving it a go?

Yes, I think you have to claim a room and set up a PA. I'd try to make it fun and not too long. When I was in college there weren't a lot of other standup comedians, but I would get people I thought were funny to tell stories or get sketch groups or have people read stuff. Sometimes I'd get comics from Boston I knew or nearby cities to come. There was a man who lived in a halfway house and was very funny but unstable who'd perform. And a man in a potato sack who performed at rallies. You can have a party afterwards. People like to be part of a community.

-How can one go about being influenced by certain comics without seeming too derivative of them as well? Case in point, I find that I am highly influenced the way you don't always seem to worry about segues. How does one go about channeling (or at least heavily being influenced by) comic styles that resonate and work with you, while avoiding pure imitation?

I think the only real answer is to do it for a while. You'll eventually find your voice and be less derivative. Maybe 5 years? Lots of people say it takes about 10 years to find your voice and feel comfortable. I think that's somewhat true. Obviously you'll have success and write good jokes before that, but if you think of most of the comics that are really great, many of them have done it for 10 to 20 years. There are exceptions. Demetri Martin, Aziz (I forget his last name), Andy Blitz, Nick Swardson, those people all found their voices much faster and had much faster rises. But it's vaguely true. Also, if you're worried about sounding like other people, that's probably enough self-awareness to avoid it eventually. So, I guess my advice is be yourself for 20 years and you can have a TV show?

-I seem to recall hearing that you recently played Mottley's in Boston. If so, what can you tell me about the room? I'm doing a show there next week and any advice would be snaz-tastic.

 I did play Mottley's. It's a nice room with low ceilings that seats about 100 people. My advice is to do standup well when you're there. There's nothing to really suggest.

 
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