In the newest episode of Rooftop’s original series Crashing the Market, we take a look at an astronomical bar tab, the iced tea/beer hybrid you didn’t know you needed, and exotic robot dancers–obviously. Goings-on in the business world tend to veer toward the absurd, so sit back (pop a bottle of pizza-flavored beer) and enjoy as host Mariah Castle brings you up to speed on the headlines. Watch the full episode after the jump and stay tuned for more Crashing the Market. And remember, the next time you wake up and realize you never closed your bar tab the night before, just hope you didn’t spring for that $100K+ bottle of champagne.
Last week, the four finalists in CMT’s Next Big Comic(namely Lance Weiss, Chris Pennie, Andy Beningo, and Adam Norwest) performed at the legendary Stardome Comedy Club in Birmingham, Alabama. Hundreds of people came out to see these guys at the sold-out event and they did great. Rooftop was there to film the whole thing and we’ll be posting clips from the show soon (stay tuned). In the meantime, we’re in the home stretch of the contest and these comics need your votes! Watch each of them make their case for why they deserve the title of Next Big Comic. We’ll announce the big winner on March 12. In the meantime, vote early & often. Let us know who has your vote in the comments and on Twitter (#NextBigComic).
Andy Hendrickson is a burgeoning powerhouse in the comedy world. If the name sounds familiar, it’s because you’ve probably heard him on either the Bob & Tom Show, or on Sirius/XM Radio. Not only is he a showcase winner at HBO’s U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, Andy has performed at TBS’ The Comedy Festival in Las Vegas and was a finalist at the Great American Comedy Festival.
He’s calling his newest release, Underacheiver, his first “real” CD. Underacheiver will be released March 13 wherever fine comedy is sold and streamed.
Rooftop had Nathan Timmel dial Andy up and chat about the disc, comedy classes, and finding your comedic voice.
Nathan Timmel:Easy question first: where did you come up with the title Underachiever?
Andy Hendrickson: A friend suggested it, actually, because I have a chunk of material about my family, and how every one of them is an overachiever. My oldest brother is exceptional; he went to the Naval Academy, became a Navy Seal, and went to Harvard.
NT:So you are the Black Sheep of the family then; you are the underachiever.
AH: Yes, I would be the slacker of the family.
NT:Where was your album recorded, and over how many shows?
AH: I recorded it up in Ottawa, Canada. There’s a great club up there called Absolute Comedy. I had two shows on a Friday night to record the material, and luckily I got it all on the early slot because the late crowd was a little drunk and rowdy, so I didn’t use any of the audio from that take.
NT:What kind of set up did you use?
AH: I hired a local sound engineer who works with bands and theaters. He used a simple three-microphone setup: he wired the stage mic, and then a left and right mic to capture the audience.
NT:How many years in the making was the material for Underachiever? Is this your first CD?
AH: [Laughs.] Well…there’s a CD that exists from three-years into my career, when I was desperate for money, that if I could buy back every copy and burn it? I would.
NT:[Laughs.] We all have one of those – a “starter” CD. Every comic gets way too excited early in their career and records something, then pushes because they’re so proud of themselves: “I’ve got a CD! I’m a real comic!” Then years down the road you give a listen and you shake your head and say, “Holy shit, what was I thinking?”
AH: Exactly. At the time, it made sense. I had just started doing comedy full-time, and was only featuring, and needed money desperately. So I put out a 25-minute disc and tried to keep my head above water by selling it. So that one doesn’t count.
I put out one in 2005 or 2006 called It’s Ready, and I have a little 25-minute sampler on my website that I give away… so to me, this is my first real CD—it’s the first one I’m truly proud of. It has all my best material, and I have my voice now… I’m really excited about this one. Which is weird, because as a comedian you generally beat yourself up over everything, but I’m really proud of how this turned out.
NT:Talk about your voice: how far into your comedy career are you, and how long did it take you to figure out who you wanted to be on stage?
AH: I went through many stages; imagine your teenage years. You’re trying to fit in, and you don’t know if you’re going to be a skateboarder, or a heavy metal guy, or a jock. The same thing applies to trying to figure out who you’re going to be on stage. I used to… [laughs] I used to do a “dumb stoner guy” character when I first started out. Then I was really silly, acting out on stage a lot.
I’ve been doing it about 13 years now, and I think it took 11 years to just be me on stage, which is a dry, sarcastic guy. And that’s who I am, it’s what I am off stage. I just had to go through all the trying-on of personas just to be myself at the end of it all. Some guys are lucky, and they find it early, but it took me a while to figure out.
NT:Did you go through that phase where you’d work with someone, really like what they were doing, and accidentally adopt their quirks?
AH: Oh, absolutely. I was middling for Daniel Tosh years ago in Cleveland, and I really enjoyed his stand-up. I was watching every show, and on the last night found myself delivering my jokes with the same kind of tempo Tosh had. I remember catching myself and thinking, “What the hell are you doing?” It was still my material, my jokes, but his delivery had rubbed off on me.
NT:I’ve heard a lot of people do that after working with Attell; his voice is so distinct, his delivery so unique, that after a week with him you’ve picked up his cadence.
AH: I guess it’s similar to spending a couple months in the South, and after a while you just start slipping little colloquialisms they use into your own speech patterns.
NT:Let’s talk about you’re becoming a comedian: was there a light bulb moment in your childhood where you said, “I want to be a comedian,” or is it something you discovered later?
AH: I was exposed to stand up at a really early age. I used to live in Hawaii, and there was a comedian named Poi Dog my family would listen to. He did a lot of jokes about Hawaiian culture… I would have been around eight. I didn’t really know that’s what I wanted to do at the time, but I guess I was always a cut-up. I eventually moved to Atlanta—after college—took a comedy class, got my first taste of the stage and getting laughs, and loved it.
NT:Every comic out there seems to have a passionate opinion about comedy classes; would you say they helped you, or that you wouldn’t recommend them?
AH: To be honest, I thought it was very helpful. It all depends on your personality, and I was petrified by the idea of getting on stage. So to invest my money in a six-week class, and knowing at the end of it I had to get on stage, which is something I was very frightened by, the class was very helpful. I mean, I had financially locked myself into it; it was like skydiving. Once you’re up in the plane, you gotta jump. Taking a class also gave me a sense of structure as well. Some guys, like me—underachiever—need that push. Other’s don’t. I also knew that at the end of it I’d have that 5-minute set I could take with me to open microphones.
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Andy currently resides in New York City. You can follow Andy @AndyHendrickson.
Underachiever comes out March 13 and will be available on iTunes, Amazon, and the Rooftop Comedy Shop. You can also stream Underachiever through Pandora and Grooveshark.
In the newest episode of our original series, Crashing the Market, our esteemed host Mariah Castle brings us up to speed on the ridiculous business headlines you may have missed. This week, an Apple imitator gets shut down (Siri cannot cook your dinner–yet), a German pork company takes the consumer-product relationship to the next level, and Google’s chairman Eric Schmidt won’t be going to that Taylor Swift concert with you. Watch this week’s episode on MSN and stay tuned for more Crashing the Market.
Matt Knudsen is a classy gentleman. He buys only the best for his wife, whether he’s picking out jewelry, buying a mattress, or scouting for a swanky new apartment. We were so happy to see Matt stop by Conan last night, where he did a great set and talked about his gentlemanly ways, personal grooming, workout habits, and more. Watch the full set below and be sure to catch up with all of Matt’s clips on Rooftop. You can follow Matt @MattKnudsen. Kudos on a great set Matt!
This weekend, Mottley’s Comedy Club will host its final shows before closing its doors. Mottley’s has been an institution in the vibrant, supportive, and extremely talented Boston comedy scene. For over three years, we’ve partnered with the club to promote the Boston comedy scene. Mottley’s has prided itself on providing a stage for Boston comedy stars and rising newcomers alike. To celebrate the club, we pulled together some of our favorite Mottley’s clips. Take a look, enjoy, and be sure to check out their final shows this weekend! They’re pulling together a bunch of Boston favorites, with some surprise guests to boot.
First up, Kelly MacFarlandexplains how, while she enjoys yoga, there is room for improvement.
Lamont Pricedoesn’t understand why he gets so many shifty looks in the winter.
Hey Ladiessss! Raise your hand if you’ve ever felt the power of seduction that only Josh Gondelman‘s trombone can provide.
Phoebe Robinson is looking for some like-minded Battlestar Galactica fans. Any leads?
Billy Wayne Davis describes himself as the thinking-man’s hillbilly. If that’s the case, consider us a thinking man because we’re huge fans of his warm delivery and, of course, that unmistakable drawl. Billy hails from Nashville where he got his start, building up buzz before taking his comedy around the country and sharing the stage with some of the biggest names out there. Billy’s themes draw on relationships and Southern stereotypes. He turns the uber-PC mindset of Seattle (where he currently lives) on its head, with hilarious stories as a result. We recently chatted with Billy to talk about his new self-titled album, dealing with hecklers, and people’s redneck expectations.
Rooftop Comedy: You got your start in Nashville before making the move to Seattle. When and why did you head to the Northwest?
Billy Wayne Davis: It was 2006, when I met my now ex-wife and she got a radio job in Seattle and I’d never been west of Texas. We had just been dating and she said, “Do you want to move out here with me?” I thought it’d be perfect, because I’d seen a lot of people developed out there and it was just a totally different point of view than what I was getting in the South and I thought that would be better for my comedy than anything.
RC: What was it like to make the adjustment from the Nashville comedy scene to the one in Seattle?
BWD: The biggest adjustment is that there was a lot more rooms. So, that was an easy adjustment to make, because there’s so much stage time in Seattle compared with Nashville or cities in the South. There’s already an established comedy scene with a rich history. Nashville is tough because it’s a music town. So you get a lot of people, when you’re doing stand-up, saying, “Why don’t you have a guitar?”
RC: It’s funny you say that, because in other cities, indie music seems to go hand-in-hand with alternative comedy.
BWD: I hope it does. I think you’re right because the indie scene there, since I’ve left, has picked up and become much cooler. A lot of neat stuff is going on there and Zanies Comedy Club is in Nashville and it’s by far one of the very best clubs in the nation. So I was very spoiled to start there. You’re getting an “A” Room. A headliner is coming through every week, so you get to see the best in the country and the room is just amazing. When I started there, there was a lot of little rooms that kind of died out after a while. People got better and a lot of people left. So it kind of dwindled, but I think it’s starting to pick up. There’s some guys there doing some pretty cool stuff.
RC: Now that you’ve been settled in Seattle for a while, have you seen in trends or developments in the comedy scene there?
BWD: When I first got to Seattle, there were more comics just going one direction. “Well, I’m just an ‘alt-comic’. That’s all I want to do”. I never understood that. There’s so many different types of rooms and you can do all of them. Whereas now, everyone realizes you need to be able to go into any room and that’s just going to make you a better comic. Now, comics are like “I just want to be a comic and do as much as I can”. I think that’s better for comic in general.
RC: Are you thinking of moving out of Seattle?
BWD: I’m moving to LA very soon, but it’s taken me 9 years of doing comedy to get there. I didn’t want to rush it. I want to be ready, when I’m down there in that over-saturation, where you stand out and you’re ready to handle everything.
RC: What are you really looking forward to this year, comedy-wise?
BWD: Moving to LA—I’m pretty excited about that. Releasing this album. Barry Blakenship did the artwork. He went above and beyond what I expected. He’s super talented and I can’t mention him enough.
RC: Do you ever feel like people expect you to play up the redneck comedian persona?
BWD: Oh definitely. Once they hear my accent, they go to stereotypes and think of certain things. Once they hear what I’m actually talking about, they think, “Okay, he’s not going to do those kinds of jokes”. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with stuff like that. I think Jeff Foxworthy is one of the best comics ever. He’s just solid. He just found something that really, really worked and you can’t be mad at him for that, but people are. The first couple times I went to LA and someone in the industry saw me, I could tell they weren’t really listening to what I was saying. They just saw, “Oh, this is how we could sell him”. I’m like, “No, you can’t sell me like that”. I got a lot of cards saying “You got to contact the Blue Collar guys”, and I’m like “I don’t really do that”.
RC: Who were your favorite comics when you were growing up?
BWD: I’m fortunate enough that my parents were really into quality comedy—it’s what I like to call it. They liked people that were good. My dad was a Richard Pryor fan, so I grew up knowing about Richard Pryor. I actually named my son Pryor. He’s a huge influence. Jonathan Winters I loved. I didn’t really know about Bill Hicks until I started doing open mics and then you know you fall in love with him. Guys like [Doug] Stanhope, Ralphie May, and Louis CK and Dave Chapelle and Ron White—those are guys I was really influenced by.
RC: You’ve become pretty adept at dealing with hecklers and you even included the drunken shouting of an audience member on your CD.
BWD: I hide my frustration on stage pretty well, because, people who know me can tell it really gets at me. But I don’t think it’s ever going to go away. It doesn’t matter what part of the country or if it’s a nice comedy club, there’s still some jack-hole who thinks, “I’m gonna level the show”. But I learned a long time ago that he just wasn’t handsome. If you give them enough rope, they’ll hang themselves. Then the audience will turn on them.
Billy produced this great short video to promote his album, co-starring two adorable Chows–err, exotic lion cubs. Nice work Billy!
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Billy Wayne Davis is now available on iTunes, Amazon, and Rooftop Comedy’s shop (where you can sample some tracks for free). Be sure to follow Billy on Twitter @BillyWayneDavis.
We’re proud to announce the start of this year’s Next Big Comic, a yearly competition we’re producing with CMT. The search is on this year as 12 very comics face off. Check out all the clips over on the CMT site and be sure to share your favorites. Show your support and you can vote as many times for as many comics as you wish. The comics with the most votes will advance each week and the four finalists will perform at the famous Stardome in Birmingham, Alabama. Who are these 12 contestants exactly? You’ve seen them headline clubs all over the country and they’re some of our favorite comics:
Be sure to keep up with the action on Twitter (#NextBigComic) and spread the word! We want to know who you’re supporting. Next week, the eight comics with the most votes will move on and we’ll have new clips for you to consider.
Rooftop Comedy Productions is proud to welcome the newest member of the family: Chris Killian. Chris is a comic from the Nashville area, who spends his time touring clubs and college campuses, bringing his energetic mix of comedy and original songs (including “Bieber Fever”, pictured above). We recently chatted with Chris online to talk about his comedy heroes, Justin Bieber’s comedic chops, and why he’s still waiting to hear back from Jay-Z. Chris’ new album, The Not Black Album comes out tomorrow and we hope you’ll check it out.
How long have you been doing comedy?
Well I hate to brag, but you know that night we recorded the album? That was like my fourth time on stage I think. What is that—three months now? I dunno. My stand-up comedy career so far has just been a haze of drug and sex-induced bravado. Let’s just say two and a half years.
Who are your comedy idols?
Well if I don’t mention classics like the Carlins and the Pryors and the Hicks, comedy nerds might castrate me. Those guys, obviously, and really, I love anyone willing to take risks. Steve Martin is a genius. I know it sounds weird and cliché saying this because he died, but Greg Giraldo was my comedy hero. He was the first stand-up comic I ever watched live, and a few years later I got to open for him a few months before he died and the guy was just great. I still have text messages from him where we’re busting each other’s balls.
You hail from the Nashville area. What’s that comedy scene like?
It’s pretty rural. It’s a lot like LA except most of the guys are related. We love tractor jokes in Nashville.
You incorporate music into your act quite a lot and write original songs. Who do you identify as your equivalent in the music world?
I would hate to insult any musical legends by identifying them as equal to me. But probably John Lennon.
Who are your musical inspirations?
Inspired is probably a strong word. Let’s take Prince for example. I’m a HUGE Prince fan. What he really did was inspire me not to pursue real music because I’m just not that talented. Instead, artists like Prince and The Beatles and Tone Loc taught me that, like all great things, if I cut it down and make fun of it, I can pretend like it’s not that hard to do.
Have you always played music as part of your comedy?
The songs actually led me to stand-up comedy. Originally in college, I would just try to entertain my friends or pick up chicks, so I’d be like “Listen to this song I wrote about homeless people or statutory rape or necrophilia” and eventually, people would tell me I should try to perform those on stage. But from the get-go I knew I only wanted the music to be a small part to my show. The album actually has a lot more music than I usually perform. One reason is because I want the good songs I’ve written to have a longer shelf life so I don’t have to write more. But the MAIN reason is because I want the show to be diverse and break up the monotony a bit.
On the flip side, while we’re on the subject of music in comedy, I have ran into this elitist attitude from some stand-up comics, or purists, and there’s a certain backlash sometimes that comes from having music in my act. I have literally walked into clubs with a guitar and seen other comics roll their eyes and say something like, “Guitar comics are shitty. It’s just a crutch”. Well sure, I agree, some guitar comics are shitty and use it as a crutch. But just to assume that, without seeing them, because someone has a guitar, they’re automatically shitty, well that’s stupid. I know a lot of guys who don’t play music in their act who suck, but that doesn’t mean I think all monologists are terrible. I watch them before I judge.
But to answer your question, yeah, pretty much.
Has Jay-Z formally welcomed you to the “The ______ Album” club?
Not formally, but he’s got like 101 problems now instead of 99, what with Beyoncé and Blue Ivy, so I’m sure it’s on his to-do list. I did get an e-mail from Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich welcoming me, but he’s usually a dick so I didn’t respond.
What are you looking forward to this year in your comedy career?
I am looking forward to the sales of this album sky-rocketing me and catapulting me into the comedy heavens. Realistically, I’m happy to have a busy year on the books and can hopefully just keep writing and performing.
You’re a proud Justin Bieber “belieber”. Do you think he has any comedy chops?
Yeah, I do. Actually, I just read earlier today that the Biebs just bought the rights to the movie FEAR, where Mark Wahlberg played a psychotic stalker. Remember? The article said Biebs wants to re-make that movie and play the Marky Mark character, which I find hilarious. If there’s one word that doesn’t describe Justin Bieber, it’s intimidating.
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Chris will headline Zanies Comedy Club in Nashville February 1-2 and Sidesplitters (Knoxville) on February 5. To see Chris’ full tour schedule, follow him on Facebook and Twitter. The Not Black Album will be available January 31 on iTunes, Amazon, and RooftopComedy.com.
Check out our new series Crashing the Market, now showing on MSN. It’s a weekly send-up of all the business headlines and gossip you may have missed. From McDonald’s fumbles in social media to financial tycoons losing their knighthood, we’re here to help you laugh at the absurd world of business. Click through the link below to watch the first episode, featuring host Mariah Castle. Take a look and let us know what you think!
