Right before
headlining the Mikey O Comedy Show at Joe’s Bar, Joey took the time to share
his story along with advice and wisdom on that it takes to be a good stand up. You can see Joey at the Laugh Factory February 21 and again on February 26. He will also be headlining the Lincoln Lodge on March 6. Enjoy!
Why did you decide
to do stand up?
I came from a rough area. My brother got caught up in a life of crime, I grew up
with gang bangers, a lot of my friends ended up in jail, couple friends got
murdered, and I knew I had to do something different. I had always wanted to do
stand up.
Who were your comedy
influences?
Martin Lawrence, Eddie Murphy, Redd Foxx, Richard Pryor,
Freddie Prinze—not Junior, the dad! And my dad loves comedy, so I’d always
watch it with him. When I got older, I saw Andrew Dice Clay’s The Diceman Cometh. Dude, I was like, 10
when I saw that and no lie, that shit had me on the floor! I used to love that
shit! [laughs] And I mean, he gets
shit on now ‘cause he does those same jokes from the ‘80s, but watching it back
then was crazy! Then in my teens, Def Comedy Jam came out, and watching Martin
Lawrence host that show is what really made me want to do stand up.
You grew up on the
south side of Chicago. Is that where you started?
No, actually that’s a big misconception. I started doing
stand up on the north side at a place called The Orange Crush. They had an open
mic, so I did it and ended up meeting a guy named Ricky Carmona, and then I saw
him again at a Mikey O Comedy Show, and we became friends. After that, I
started going around to other open mics and really seeing how it worked.
What is your writing
process like? Are you the type who sits at a desk and cranks out jokes during a
certain hour?
Naa, I can’t do it like that. [laughs] I’m a family man! I got my kids, I’m driving them to
school, everything is always on the go. All my stuff is on my phone. Ideas just
come to me wherever, whenever, and I’ll just jot down a note.
What does it take to
be a good stand up?
You gotta have talent. Talent is needed to be able to do
this. And you gotta be quick, you gotta be witty. When I was younger, I was
5’2, skinny as hell with bigass glasses. People tried to bully me, but I
wouldn’t play that shit. I always had a smart mouth, so I used to take
people down just by rippin’ on them. To get into stand up, you gotta have a
little bit of that. You gotta be a smartass! Some of the funniest comics were
smartasses—we talked back to our parents, we talked back to our teachers, we
got arrested for not shuttin’ up when the cop told us to shut up!
[moment of laughter]
Also, write GOOD jokes! That’s what it all boils down to.
There’s this thing where it’s like, “Over here is this clique and over there is
that clique...” but not everybody in the clique is funny! [laughs] You still gotta write funny jokes!
How long did it
take you to move up from doing open mics to doing clubs and real shows?
It took me 3-4 years of hustlin’ hard. But, I met Mikey
within my first year. So, I started early doing spots in front of real crowds,
which got me prepared and helped me stop being nervous in front of big crowds.
In fact, I would get more nervous in front of small crowds! I had it backwards.
But, it’s all about being comfortable in an uncomfortable situation. The more
you get on stage, the more you get used to it.
What does it take
to get booked on a Mikey O Show?
Most comics are recommended by another comic. And from
there, you might get a guest spot. It’s a real test, though. People are paying 20
dollars to come in. So, make sure you write funny jokes, know how to write out
a set. Know what you’re doing.
Do you need to be
doing Latino jokes in order to rock a Mikey O Show crowd?
Na, see don’t think that way. Whatever jokes you’ve been
writin’ and doin’, just stick with that. Don’t try to please crowd—and especially
other comedians. I used to walk into a room and see guy I know is hilarious and
be like, “Ahh he’s legendary! I gotta make THAT guy laugh!” But naa, make the audience laugh! Then, that guy will see that you know what you’re
doing. It works better that way.
What do you do to
prepare for a big show?
If I know I got a big show coming up, I’ll sit down and
write out a set. Like when I did The Latin Kings of Comedy with Paul Rodriguez
last year, I knew about that two months in advance. I sat down and looked through
ALL these notes that I had until I was able to piece together a solid 30
minutes.
You performed with
Paul Rodriguez, Joey Medina, Alex Reymundo, and Manny Maldonado. Had you ever been
on a show like that before?
That was the biggest production I had been part of. And I
had done theaters before, never in front of a sold out 3,500 seat crowd with the
production company puttin’ big money into it, lots of marketing, all that
stuff. It was the first time I had worked with Paul Rodriguez, and I had met
him probably a year before that. The other guys I had worked with them plenty of
times, so they helped put in a good word for me.
How do you stay
sharp and not get nervous on the biggest show of your career?
It all goes back to constantly getting on stage, man. I
mean, if you spend 4-5 years of just getting on stage all the time, you’re
gonna get sharper. I mean, I’m almost 10 years in—I was 8½ years in when I got
Latin Kings of Comedy, and I had done SO many shows before that. So, I took all
my favorite jokes from all those years, and put together a solid set from front
to back.
On top of being a
comedian, you’ve been married for 15 years, with two kids! How do you balance everything?
Honestly man, it’s hard. I always envy the comics that can
just jump up and leave. With kids, they don’t want to leave, they love Chicago
to death! So, I always had to fight with that, ‘cause I can’t leave my kids.
But now that they’re older, it’s a little easier to be able to leave and go to
New York or L.A. for a little bit.
Your wife was
supportive of you doing stand up?
My wife supports what I do. And, we struggled a lot, but my
kids are straight-A students because she made sure they did well in school. We
met fresh outta high school, got married young, had a baby young—she ain’t
goin’ nowhere. [laughs]
General advice for
comics?
Don’t rush it, take your time. Show the people you know
about timing. If a bit doesn’t work, just bounce right on to the next one. Your
jokes can be written well, but they’re just not hitting on a particular night. Just
be smooth, no matter how nervous you are.
What are some bad
habits that you don’t like to see in younger comics?
Don’t fiddle with the mic cord! Also, I hate when comedians
hold the mic from the top, like a rapper! [laughs]
It’s like, “Yo! We can’t hear you! We can’t see your face!” People notice all
that stuff. I used to make fun of Abi Sanchez ‘cause he used to hold the mic
upside down! [laughs] Hold the mic so
you can just be loud enough for everybody to hear you. And if it’s too loud, lower
the mic.
Advice for someone
new to the scene?
When you’re brand new, you gotta be out there a lot ‘cause
people gotta know who you are. I hear a lot of comics say, “I’m gonna take a
break.” From what?! If you take time off, there’s gonna be new young guys
poppin’ in that are funny as shit, and now people forgot about you. Then, you
gotta start all over again.
JOEY WISDOM
Final thoughts /
words of wisdom?
Number one, seriously: Don’t be an asshole, man. [laughs] Don’t be a cocky asshole. We
deal with guys like that, they’re already around. If you wanna get into the
scene, don’t be like that—especially right away! You gotta make friends before
you can do anything. Two: Keep writing! Don’t be afraid to try new stuff.
You’ll see a lot of comics that have been doing this for 10 years, and they’re
still doing the same set! Three: Get on stage, A LOT! Try to host a lot.
Hosting is one of those forgivable positions ‘cause you’re the guy that’s just
kickin’ the show off. If your jokes don’t work, it’s forgivable, and it’s great
way to get more comfortable on stage. Other than that, just be you.
Staff Writer: David Gavri
David Gavri is a stand-up comedian, writer and founder of the online comedy sites Gonzo Fame and Comedy Scene in Houston.
Staff Writer: David Gavri
David Gavri is a stand-up comedian, writer and founder of the online comedy sites Gonzo Fame and Comedy Scene in Houston.