LocalMC Interview of some of the NoCo Comedians

When you think of stand-up comedians, the first people you most likely think of are famous: Dave Chappelle, Eddie Murphy, George Carlin, Richard Pryor, and those crazy Williams brothers Robin and Katt. Now you all know that these guys didn’t start out famous. They started out the same place as all stand-up comedians got their start, class clowns in school, and if they kept it up, they got to perform at their local comedy clubs.

The great thing about comedy clubs is they are everywhere! Why? People love to laugh, that’s why. Laughter is a little piece of heaven for a little piece of time. Hey, if there is a better way to die than sex, it’s laughter. It can brighten up the darkest times, and make awkward moments embarrassingly funny. That’s why we have a funny bone. Ever notice that when you hit your funny bone … everybody else laughs. You’re still not a comedian. We just laugh at each other when we get hurt, that’s just being human. It’s true, though, everyone loves to laugh at everyone else, especially when they get hurt (DON’T LIE).

So, what does it take to be a successful stand-up comedian? How do you get to the top of your game and sell out arenas and comedy clubs worldwide? Could it be timing, or delivery of a joke, maybe it’s marketing, or maybe (just a guess, mind you), it’s being damn funny, having a good sense of humor that’s sicker than the pervert that performed before you. Honestly, I don’t know. I’m not a comedian either. You know what though, I know comedians, local comedians right here in the city of Fort Collins, Colorado, so I went and hung out with them at a few of their shows to find out exactly what the hell was wrong with them. I got to admit that I was slightly surprised. Yes, these guys were very professional, polite, and a little off-kilter. We have Captain Jason, Josh Skillman, Mike Hammock, and Scott Bailey. This is what we found out about our local comedy scene:

LocalMC: How did the comedy scene start up here?

Captain Jason (CJ): Dicky Bill Wagner started doing shows in Windsor at the Duke and other venues that would allow him to do comedy. He had some hits and he had some flops, but things started rolling really well when he started doing open mic comedy night every Wednesday at the Cork. That grew and grew ’til you had up to 30 comics wanting to perform. The Cork had a great draw and just as things were reaching a peak at the Cork the owners decided to sell it.

Josh Skillman (JS): They turned it into a family restaurant that said they didn’t appreciate our style of comedy, we say “F#@K” a lot. That didn’t fit with their Mexican, Italian, and American menu they were offering to customers. But if you remember, Mexicans, Italians, and Americans also say “F#@K.”

LocalMC: Well that sucks, so after the Cork fiasco, what happened? And yes they do.

Mike Hammock (MH): Out of the ashes of the Cork came Hodi’s. We regrouped at Hodi’s and decided to do comedy there and Hodi’s, rising to the occasion, helped us spread out comedy around the Northern Colorado area like a funny case of herpes infecting everyone with laughter and cold sores.

JS: Why do they call them cold sores? They burn.

LocalMC: You scare me Skillman.

MH: No, what’s scary is steroids-injected herpes outbreaks that only affect people who don’t wear goggles or laugh at our jokes 

LocalMC:  Alrighty then. So what you’re saying is comedy is a viral infection that spreads like herpes that’s on fire? YEEEAH, I hope everyone gets that. 

MH: Women can catch it, but men seem to have it the most.

LocalMC: So who started the Monday night open mic at Hodi’s?

MH: J Rock started the show at Hodi’s on a Monday night from 7-9 pm. Then Brett Crandall started doing the East Coast Comedy Monday nights starting at 10-12 pm. Now every Thursday night we added Hattrixx 8-11 pm (roughly).

CJ: Yeah, and it keeps growing from there. People don’t just come to perform; now comedians are actually producing their own shows. Now they are all over the place spreading comedic herpes all over the faces of our audiences. 

LocalMC: Y’all need to stop with the herpes. At least give them the Clap, that’s at least curable. What is your favorite venue to play? 

JS: Everybody wants to go to the East Coast.

MH: Next to Hattrixx.

LocalMC: They both draw a great crowd.

MH: Yes, they all do, but tonight at Hattrixx we had one of our best shows and one of the biggest crowds and we have only been here for two months.

LocalMC: So you guys want things to pick up in the comedy scene in Northern Colorado?

CJ: F#@k, yes! It’s going to happen anyway ’cause Fort Collins is begging for a Comedy Scene. You can go anywhere in Fort Collins and find any type of music on any given night. Northern Colorado is saturated with great music and musicians. What people want up here is something different, and comedy is that difference that they are looking for.

MH: When people hear that there is a comedy show in town what you mostly hear is, “Really, there is? Where? I didn’t know they had comedy in Fort Collins?”

CJ: So they find out about stand-up comedy, they come check out the shows, get addicted to their laughter and have to come back every week to get their herpes treatment.

LocalMC: What did I say about the herpes, man?

CJ: Just for the record, it has never been proven that I actually have herpes or that I don’t. So bum a cigarette for me now.

LocalMC: I think I just quit smoking. So where do you want the local comedy scene to go and how far?

MH: Everywhere, and too far. Comics are very selfish and all we want new venues, new crowds, people who haven’t hear our jokes before.

JS: We love our loyal fans, but we also love to make new fans as well.

LocalMC: Do you guys have anything new or different coming to the NoCo Comedy Scene?

CJ: Improv nights. We all get to hear the comics’ A-list material; things that we have already heard. What we want now is to see what a comic can do with jokes off the top of their head. Off the cuff. You know, freestyle comedy.

JS: The great thing is we take ideas from the audience. You should try to make a joke about forced abortion or a hyperactive epileptic crack baby. If you can pull it off that’s going to be one funny joke.

LocalMC: God’s going to bitch-slap you!

JS: It was your suggestion, Gary.

LocalMC: I’m sorry.

CJ:  Hey, me too! That’s why I didn’t say anything about prostitutes on big wheels.

MH: There is no trunk anyway on a big wheel, no where to turn a trick.

LocalMC: Or hide the body. (I’m so going to HELL) Speaking of hiding bodies, how do you guys deal with hecklers?

JS: Ignore the ones that want the attention, f#@k with the ones that don’t. You have two types of hecklers, loud drunk obnoxious ones that want to take the attention and the quiet a$$holes that will talk sh!t real fast and shut up. The quick sh!t-talkers – you give them all the attention in the world, and watch them hate it. Embarrass the ones that want to embarrass you. The loud ones  –  just act like they don’t exist. They hate that, too. We love it.

LocalMC: That is so sweet of you guys. What do you guys have coming up?

CJ: Well, we have Hattrixx every Thursday, Hodi’s (7-9 pm) and East Coast (10-12 pm) on Mondays. Skills has some upcoming gigs because he is just that DAMN good.

LocalMC: Thank you, guys, for doing the interview, for being funny f#@kers and entertaining the drunken drugged up masses of Northern Colorado. The LocalMC supports you guys completely … sometimes. Thank you, Hattrixx, Hodi’s, and East Coast for giving mentally challenged people a place to hone their craft.

Category: Noco Music Scene