Laughter is the Music of the Soul
I had the pleasure of meeting Travis Tate during the Golden Spike Comedy and Podcast Festival last month. He was hosting the open mic event and graciously accepted my invitation to be interviewed for the FollowMyGig: Your Voice Matters blog. I am excited to share with you our conversation and the first stand up comedian to join the FollowMyGig network.
FMG: How did you get started in stand up?
TRAVIS: Stand up is something that I always knew I wanted to do. Even from a young age I had a bit of an addiction to getting laughs. I feel that making someone belly laugh is one of the truest reactions that you can get from another human. I love it! I didn't get started until 2011 when I was 34, which is pretty late to get started. I feel that getting started that late has actually been a great thing for me though because I've had so much life experience to draw on. My wife really encouraged me to do stand up because I had talked about doing it for years without ever making the jump. She finally told me "Either you do it or please shut up about it". So I did!.
FMG: Where do you draw inspiration for your material?
TRAVIS: A lot of my material comes from real life events , my kids, my marriage, my childhood, my flaws as a human. It is a lot of introspection and how I view my life. Every one has funny events in their life, the trick to stand up learning how to turn that moment into a stage worthy joke. It's very difficult, but extremely rewarding.
FMG: What and/or who gave you comedic inspiration growing up?
TRAVIS: Tons of things actually. When I was a kid I loved Looney Tunes, ALF, Abbot & Costello, The Three Stooges, even Bob Hope movies. As a teenager I got into SNL, Jim Carey, In Living Color and stand ups from Carrot Top to Sam Kinison. I've tried very hard not to be influenced by anyone or any style. In comedy having an original point of view with your own original material is basically the Golden Rule of comedy. So I try to be myself, with my personality turned way way up.
FMG: Do you have any additional projects that you are involved with in addition to your stand-up comedy?
TRAVIS: I'm a huge geek so one of my favorite things that I get to be a part of is being a panelist at Salt Lake Comic Con and FanX. I love doing podcasts and I'm getting ready to do one of my own. I'm also preparing to dip my toe into acting. My kids told me that I'd make an amazing "Dumb Disney Dad" on a Disney Channel show, so I'm going to give it a go and see what happens.
FMG: What do you feel is a key component to becoming successful?
TRAVIS: I feel that the most important thing that someone can do is to become as good as you possibly can. That way when an opportunity arises you'll be ready to seize it.
FMG: Can you share a few stories with us about your experiences as a comedian and of any national acts you may have shared the stage with.
TRAVIS: There are so many. I could spend hours telling stories. I do feel very lucky to rub shoulders with such talented people. I'm grateful to have a club like Wiseguys who brings in top names and then gives local comics like me a chance to work with them. I'll just quickly give a few experiences like eating pancakes at one in the morning with Marc Maron, then getting stuck in a revolving door with the podcast king. Or having Bert Kreischer tell my kids that drinking Root Beer is way cooler than drinking alcohol. Or spending three nights with Tracy Morgan. When I thanked him for giving me great advice he shouted "I'm your comedy Obi-Wan Kenobi".
FMG: That's awesome!! I have a few questions that I like to ask each of my guests. What is a challenge that you're working to overcome?
TRAVIS: My biggest challenge right now is expanding my audience. While stand up is art, it's also a business. Without a crowd even the funniest person on the planet would have limited opportunities.
FMG: I also like to ask if there is a myth in the industry that you could dispel for us.
TRAVIS: A lot of people watch stand up and say "I could do that". Maybe they can, but not without working their butt off for many years, and not without experiencing a lot of failure.
FMG: Do you have any advice for other comedians?
TRAVIS: The most important thing is to work harder than anyone else. Be patient, because it takes years to even become OK at it. Also, you need to be able to pick yourself up when you fail, and believe in yourself when no one else will. I can't stress enough just how hard it can be.
FMG: What is a goal that you are currently working to achieve?
TRAVIS: My goal right now is simple. Become the best comedian that I can be so that I can earn my living doing what I love.
FMG: Do you have any events coming up soon?
TRAVIS: I have a show next week. Here are the details:
Thursday May 4th 7:30 PM
Wiseguys Downtown at The Gateway
$5 the club is a 21+ venue
The show is only one week away! I'm looking forward to seeing you all there, and bring some friends. I'm really proud of the set that I'll be doing and excited to do it for you. I'll be selling t-shirts featuring the graphic on the right. They'll be $20, unless you buy your tickets online then they'll be $15. May the 4th 7:30 $5 +21 yrs and up. See you there!
Thank you so much Travis for your time today. I will definitely be there!
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