
Though technically raised in New York City, Dwayne Perkins considers himself a Boston comic. New York is where he first took to the stage, but Boston is where Dwayne spent his formative comedic years. After a childhood of consuming a diet of George Carlin and Bill Cosby, Dwayne decided the microphone was something he wanted in his own hand, and started using the spotlight as a way of representing his own thoughts and ideas.
Relocated to Los Angeles in the late 1990s, Dwayne was picked in 2008 as “One of Five Comics to Watch” by Rolling Stone Magazine. He has appeared on Star Search, Comedy Central and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
His live stand up album entitled “Dwayne Perkins to the Rescue” was recently released by the Rooftop Comedy productions.
Rooftop: There are two ways to record a live CD; several shows edited together, or one straight shot. Which is this, and why did you choose this path?
DP: We edited together two shows, but it feels like one straight shot. We did that just because we had the luxury to do so. Most of the jokes come from one set, because that way people feel like they’re there, and it doesn’t feel all cut up, but we recorded two just so you have that backup set. We only put in one or two jokes from the second show, and they were both recorded on the same night.
Rooftop: What number CD is this for you, and do you ever listen back to bits you improved after recording and say, “Dammit, I could have done that better.”
DP: I don’t listen back too much to my old stuff, but you know, this is my second CD, and I already feel like I’ve changed some of the jokes on it. That’s why I believe it’s important for people to come see a comic live, because an act always progresses, its always morphing and evolving. With my first CD, I think I was more concise, probably I was terrified because I just wanted to get to the jokes, you know, but now I’m more comfortable, and the set feels like more a like a conversation, more conversational. Comedy is all about timing, and I feel the timing on this CD is a lot better than my first one.
Rooftop: How long did it take you to come up with the material for this recording; did you envision, “Ok, I want to record a CD” and wrote to achieve that goal, or did you realize, “Hey, I have a bunch of material, I should record it?”
DP: It was actually Rooftop coming to me and saying, “Hey, would you like to do a CD?” A lot of my friends have been recording DVDs, so I thought that was the way to go, but when Rooftop came to me they made me re-think it. Now I think CDs are the way to go, because I think some people will sit down and watch comedy, but I comedy is really good for driving, when people just want to get from one place to another, anyone can pop a CD in and listen to comedy.
Rooftop: How long have you been performing, and how long did it take you to find your voice?
DP: I would stay I’m still trying to find my voice, but the voice I’m currently using, it probably took me five, five or six years to develop. I’ve been performing for going on fifteen years now, and I’d say it’s really interesting because my “joke style” came pretty fast, meaning I’m still today writing jokes in the same vein as when I started out. I’d say at the seven-year mark I found my rhythm and persona.
Rooftop: Your bio says you’re looking to delve further into acting and writing; are you looking for new challenges, or are you simply being inspired more by new artistic directions these days?
DP: Probably both. You know, I’m definitely looking for more challenges. What I find is that comedy, without even knowing it, when you’re doing comedy it’s training you. You know, you’re training as an actor, and your also training to be a writer and director, because you’re doing it all on stage, live. I find that when I watch movies, or read things, I just feel that I could do as good a job or better than what’s passing right now for “acceptable.”
I also love telling stories; above all I’m a storyteller. So as a comedian I tell them verbally. I could tell them in written them, or as an actor I could be a tool for the story, where someone is telling their story through me. Either way, I just want to be a part of the process. And I think, you know, so many people tell stories, but I don’t think they care about the people they’re talking to. I think there’s a lot of room to be funny, to be even irreverent, but to have heart. To not dumb it down too much, but not to be overly complicated for the sake of being complicated. I think my comedy is like that. Well-read people like my comedy, and people who don’t read like my comedy, and I think I want to sort of expand that into other forms of entertainment.
Rooftop: You keep a regularly updated blog; is that simply for the thoughts in your head, or is it a first run for joke ideas?
DP: You know, it’s really just the thoughts running through my head. I call it “Amusing Musings.” Things happen to me, and I think they would make a good blog. If I write ten, actually if I write twenty blogs, maybe one will make it into my act as some sort of joke.
Basically, I live in one city, but I travel to other cities, but I want to be able to touch people in all cities in some ways, on some levels. So they can watch clips, they can watch comedy and hear me in interviews, but I think reading my blog is the most personal way I can reach out to them.
And it’s a hoot to write, and it’s good practice for me, as a writer, to tell my story in the most colorful, concise manner. David Sedaris is actually my inspiration for writing; he writes really, really funny books.
Rooftop: Does your material come from personal experiences, or do you look for the absurd in daily life, what’s called “Observational Humor?”
DP: It’s a little bit of both. I would say I’m a storyteller, but I don’t tell that many stories, and I don’t think I would be called absolutely observational. I think at the end of the day, we all become observational, because if you want to keep writing jokes, at some point you’ve told your story, so you have to sort of talk about what [else] you think and see.
With George Carlin being my main inspiration, I think my jokes are more or less my opinions, but I don’t really have super strong opinions. “My opinions about the self” is the way I would describe my comedy. Like, I’m not going to buck the system. I don’t really care if things aren’t fair. I mean, I care, but until people stop trying to date out of their league, or until men stop drinking and beating up their wives and things like that. I think the revolution is the revolution of the self. But I’m not preachy about it on stage.
I just try to make people feel like, when I tell my jokes, one, be positive, it’s gonna be all right. But two, within that positivity, take accountability. Not only for your own actions, but for your own happiness. Which is why I always try to be happy. I’ll be honest when I’m having a bad day, but I don’t like it when comics sort of revel in having a bad day, because no bad day ends up in a comedy club. A bad day ends up in a hospital, or in a morgue.
It’s hard because I’m just trying to be positive and happy, happy-go-lucky, but still be compelling, and not overly vanilla. It’s tough, sometimes I tell stories, sometimes I give opinions, but I try to be positive throughout.
Rooftop: You just made me laugh, because I’m thinking about Doug Stanhope and his latest CD, “From Across The Street.” At one point, Doug spews forth a particularly hilarious diatribe of self-examination and negative thought, then laughs and tells the audience, “You go to a comedy show to feel good and laugh, yet you leave mine feeling worse than when you came in.”
DP: [Laughs] Wow, that’s really funny.
Rooftop: Back to you, you were chosen by Rolling Stone as one of five comics to watch; how much advance notice did you get you were chosen, or was it a surprise, and how did that make you feel?
DP: It made me feel great! I think with those things, getting picked like that, it’s so subjective. What I liked is, Rolling Stone talked to people who are part of the comedy scene, and those people suggested me. I mean, there are so many people worthy of something like that, you feel a little silly getting it, but you know you’re doing something right, for your number to be called. Not that you’re the only one worthy, but you’re doing something right. Sometimes people see in you things that you don’t see in yourself, so you don’t want to fight that. You want to agree with it, say “I’m going to make that true,” even if it happens retroactively to their belief in you.
Dwayne can be found on the web at www.dwayneperkins.com. “Dwayne Perkins to the Rescue” is available on iTunes.
March 4th, 2010
Categories: Cool stuff from Rooftop Comedy, Interview