By Jimmy Steinfeldt
Los Angeles, California (The Hollywood Times) 07/30/2024
Jimmy Steinfeldt (JS): When did you decide you wanted to be a comedian?
Brian Bogart (BB): I was six or seven years old in my first school play and from there I pivoted to musicals because that’s largely what was available when I was growing up in Austin, Texas. Not gonna lie, it did help being one of the only guys in the drama clubs because they always need guys to play the male roles, and this was before they got as creative with gender-blind casting. But I had a good enough singing voice and natural timing and the directors saw that. I was always told “You’re so funny,” but I quickly found out being funny in an acting role is far different from being funny as a comedian.
I learned that the friendly camaraderie in a theater production is very different from the prevailing culture in the stand-up community. Comedians are generally more sardonic and are more OK with being loners, so I had to adjust to the culture a bit. After graduating from the University of Texas, I got an agent, and they started putting me in commercials. I still audition and do the occasional commercial and that can definitely help pay the bills, but frankly it’s more exciting for me to do unpaid open mic gigs to test out new jokes I wrote.
JS: What comedians influenced you?
BB: When I was very young, I was a big Nick Swardson and Pablo Francisco fan. I think any stand-up fan who grew up in the aughts remembers some of the iconic specials those guys had. I also loved Robin Williams because I saw how dynamic and successful he was in all these different disciplines. Chris Rock was also a comedy hero of mine because of the way he was able to break down and satirize deeply systemic, societal issues. As of late, I’m a big fan of Neal Brennan’s wit and lucidity.
JS: I still have my ticket stub to Robin Williams circa 1982. What are some of your favorite TV shows?
BB: 30 Rock, The Office, Arrested Development. I grew up watching a lot of adult animation like Simpsons, South Park, and King of the Hill with my dad. People say it’s harder to make a good comedy show these days and they may be right, but currently “Hacks” and “Tires” are two shows streaming right now that I think are terrific. “Girls5Eva” is also great and carries a lot of that Tina Fey 30 Rock spirit these days. It’s hard not to feel like you’re always walking on eggshells as a comedian so it’s great to see some shows that are really pulling it off and giving hope for writers like me.
JS: Your favorite movies?
BB: Shrek was formative for me and my humor because it taught me it’s ok to break rules. More than that, you may actually be rewarded if you do it the right way.
JS: What is your process for coming up with a joke?
BB: It starts with noticing some kind of inconsistency, contradiction, or hypocrisy in my day-to-day life and making an immediate note of it. I start off with that premise and I may have an idea for a couple lines about it that I definitely want to hit. I don’t want to have the cleanest, polished, verbose essay of a written joke the first time I tell it. I’m not intent on hitting every word. I may want to ad lib some things I think the audience will enjoy as I start to gauge their temperament. Combining the ad lib, the premise and some solid punch lines can yield a good joke, but creating a fully formed bit you’re comfortable putting in the repertoire definitely doesn’t happen overnight.
JS: How do you put several jokes together for a complete stand-up routine?
BB: Every set is different. Know your crowd. Listen to what they are laughing at. When you’ve been doing stand-up long enough, you should have material that covers many topics. If I learn that someone in the crowd has a job that I have a bit about, I can use that. Paying attention to the crowd that night can change my whole set. People in the audience always want to hear about something that is specific to them.
JS: How do you get a reading of the audience? Do you do reconnaissance before you go on stage, or do you learn about the audience as you are actually doing your routine?
BB: Definitely both. If you go on later, it’s in your best interest. But once you are on stage life always throws you a curveball. A heckler or other distractions during your performance can be a benefit. You have to react to it and try to make something out of it. You can’t just ignore it and forge ahead with your routine because the audience will think “hey doesn’t he hear or see what just happened.” You need to address anything that occurs during your performance, remain in control and make something funny out of it.
JS: When and where did you do your first stand-up?
BB: The Coldtowne Theater in Austin, Texas. I was not on the list, but I begged the host Maggie Maye to add me and she was kind enough to put me to the end. She is now a successful comedian here in L.A herself so it’s funny how we both ended up out here. I was actually on a show with her a few months ago and got to tell her how much that meant to me.
JS: How did that first stand-up go?
BB: It went well but I think only because the crowd knew it was my first time. I thought wow my first set and I’m already a good comedian! Then you realize how little you really know. My third set was not good. “Oh my god I bombed. I never thought I’d bomb” I thought it was impossible to bomb if you are funny. I talked to fellow comedians about bombing. I asked them “What’s up with that?” They said, “Don’t worry it’s not gonna matter, you become numb to it.”
JS: What are the reasons for bombing? You’re doing the same or similar routine as other nights when you are very well received.
BB: That is a great question. Theoretically if these jokes worked today there is no reason they shouldn’t work tomorrow. I learned that’s it’s communication. Communication is 10% what you say and 90% HOW you say it. The audience will think you’re funny if they get the idea you are coming up with jokes on the spot. The magic of stand-up is giving the impression that you are making it up as you go along. If you don’t have the magic working for you that night, the audience will feel you are just going through the motions of reciting a routine. A good performance has a lot to do with how much does the crowd like me, and did they feel like I was very present with them.
JS: Do you have some favorite venues?
BB: Here in L.A. for open mic comedy, I love the Lyric Hyperion on Mondays. I also host an open mic every other Tuesday at “Best Comedy Club Near Me Theater” which you can find on your apps.
I run another show monthly called “Banter!” at the Glendale Room. The format of the show is modeled after late-night talk shows a la Johnny Carson.
JS: How long have you been in L.A.?
BB: Incidentally, I moved here the first day COVID was discovered (oops). I had a few months in the city before things started to lockdown. Since nothing was happening in LA, I moved down to Long Beach to wait out the Pandemic with a comedian friend of mine, which helped keep us sharp despite clubs being closed. As a passion project, we started a podcast where we watched old episodes of The Apprentice to draw parallels with how Trump behaved on the show and how he behaved in the Whitehouse. We would even interview former cast members from The Apprentice who shared their experiences with the man, both positive and negative. “The Appresident” podcast was our stop gap comedy experience during COVID and I moved to L.A. permanently in mid 2021 when things settled down a bit. If you ever want to listen to a fun time capsule of how comedians dealt with the Pandemic when it was happening, “The Appresident” is still available on Spotify.
JS: How did it come to pass that in three years you are already running several comedy events?
BB: Thanks for the compliment! I didn’t just start when I moved to L.A so that probably had a lot to do with it. I already had a bit of credibility with my own material when I arrived and I’m pretty active in terms of getting out to mics and stand-up shows because showing up is half the battle. Also, I had a lot of friends from Austin living here which never hurt.
JS: Many comedians finally get to L.A. but they don’t start multiple comedy nights and help fellow comedians.
BB: I always liked the talk show format and the excitement of what can happen in an interview especially with funny people. I research the comedians before I invite them to the show. I can do this easily via their websites and social media, so it helps me bring up topics that I know are important to them. I did a version of this in Austin many years ago. At first comics were resistant to doing anything outside their normal set list but that was years ago and now I find comics are more open to a talk show type interview.
JS: What’s your favorite part about being a comedian?
BB: The community. They are lovely people. Yes, they are known for being curmudgeonly, but they are great people. The public expects comedians to be a stitch all the time but that’s not always how they are. When you get to know the community from the inside you see how we comedians are able to laugh at our own predicament. We see the absurdity of this life where each of us have to combine the craft with commerce if we really want to make a living out of this
JS: What’s the biggest drag about being a comedian?
BB: The lack of a guarantee when it comes to pretty much anything. Also putting up with how much time seems wasted. Driving all over this L.A. traffic just to get to a meeting or a gig. Time waiting in line for an open mic sign-up sheet and then not even being given a slot that night. It can really be a drag to give up your entire day to perform and then not get a chance.
JS: Who are some of your favorite comedians on the scene now?
BB: There’s a comedian Ray Lau I see around L.A. who’s hilarious. I actually have him booked on the next Banter show (8/13 at the Glendale Room!) so I’m super excited to have him on. Willie Simon is a great comedian who just got his name put up at the Comedy Store. Funny enough, we were on the same show together in Austin years ago, and we recently bumped into each other in LA and I got to book him on this coming Banter as well. Also I’m trying to book Aparna Nancherla who is super funny.
JS: What are you working on now?
BB: All the things I mentioned earlier but also I’m going back to school. I’m getting my MBA at UCLA with a focus on the Entertainment field. I’m planning on going the entrepreneurial route so I can eventually run my own media empire, owning and operating content channels and much more. Just trying to turn myself into an industry decision maker so I don’t have to rely on others to make decisions for me.
JS: That worked out well for some other comedians and comic-actors: Mary Tyler Moore, Johnny Carson, Danny Thomas and others. Any other goals?
BB: I’ve always said all my roads lead to me becoming a late-night talk show host but even today Conan quit his show and now has his podcast, so you have to adapt to where the market is heading to an extent. Funny enough, Conan’s booker is this great comedian Maddy Ogden who also co-runs an open mic so I see her a lot. The comedy world is a lot smaller than you would think.
JS: Is your family funny?
BB: Yes, my dad is funny on purpose and my mom is funny on accident. She’s a Cuban immigrant so there’s a lot of natural comedy that comes from that side of the family. Some of it intentional, some of it not so much, but that’s just part of the fun.
JS: How can our readers learn more about you?
BB: Jimmy I invite your readers to book me. I do parties and corporate gigs, after all. Meanwhile you can see what I’m up to on my YouTube: BrianBogartComedy and my Instagram: @brian.bogart or of course visit my website brianbogart.com
