If you look at the posts below, you'll find a lot of empty reports (I know, I know...I'm working on them!) and you'll find a few profiles of some of those who have survived the gauntlet of Preliminary Week One in order to become a semi-finalist. Well, we've got one more Preliminary Week One Semi-Finalist profile to get to...so, once again, it's time to get to know another one of this year's Seattle International Comedy Competition Semi-Finalists.
The Miracle Boy. A classic Riches To Rags To Riches story. He started the week off with a second place finish only to drop to as low as 12th place going into the last night. The fact that he did well in that final show was no surprise--but seeing him earn his way into the semi-finals from 12th place surprised everyone, including the performer himself. Call him the Comeback Kid. Call him the Heartbreaker. Call him a semi-finalist. He is ANDY HAYNES.
SeattleComedy.net's "Interview by E-Mail"
w/Andy Haynes
Sorry this is late, I've been busy pinching myself.
No worries, Andy.
--background--
How old are you?
25
What is your hometown?
Born and raised in Seattle.
Did you start doing comedy in Seattle?
Started comedy at the Underground while commuting from Bellingham, for open-mics, my senior year.
You moved away from Seattle for awhile. What's the story there?
I graduated and moved to DC for two years. I arrived to a completely different kind of comedy scene, learned a lot, met a ton of great people, but last winter after seeing everything happening with the PRoK, I wanted to come back and be a part of it.
When did you start doing comedy?
The anniversary of the Tsunami is, unfortunately, also my comedy anniversary, so three years in December.
Is comedy your full time job?
Well, I'm unemployed at the moment, so, technically, all I'm doing is comedy, but jokes aren't paying the bills yet.
--inspirations--
What are your first memories of stand-up comedy?
I remember always liking comedy, it captivated me, but I never thought about it as a possibility for myself. My parents watched it a lot on TV so, when I was by myself, I'd catch Comic Relief or whatever was on late.
I have this one memory of a stand-up going on a Nickelodeon show swearing, I loved it. If I put the numbers together and think hard, it seems like it was Tom Rhodes, but I'm not sure who would say "fuck it, I'm swearing on Nickelodeon whether they like it or not." Ballsy.
What made you decide to try it yourself?
I had been told that I should try it for a long time, but I never took it seriously till 2004 when Bush got elected the second time. I was so angry, and I realized that no matter how many marches and protests I was in, he was gonna be the President. I think it actually just turned funny at that point, "they're really gonna pick this guy, even democratically, all right..." I wanted to do some kind of political performance type thing and a friend and I were considering an acoustic thing, but then I rented that Bill Hicks Live DVD and I knew that was it. I went to my first open-mic a week later, watched, then tried it.
And, who inspires you today?
I think I started liking the political or edgy guys, but really I like any comic that seems to be honestly talking about themselves or what they care about. It was definitely Hicks, Chappelle, Cross, Pryor, at first, but later it changed to really anyone that made me laugh. Right now, I can say the best performances I saw this last year were Patton Oswalt, Louis CK, Bill Burr and Zach Galifianakis, but there's so many more.
What else are you into?
I'm into the world; traveling, politics, culture, etc. Art in general, but movies and music seem to be the most of it. I watch a lot of soccer, mainly Arsenal. There was a while that I thought I was going to be a professional skier. Girls are still interesting, them and swimming in the summer.
And, do those interests inform your comedy?
I think my life informs my comedy, I try to be versatile, pour myself into things, try a lot of new stuff, but really its mainly the bad stuff that becomes jokes, being awkward or accident prone. Whenever I miss the bus, get an overdraft fee, break up, I'm looking for why its funny, or where's the joke.
Is stand-up comedy your ultimate career goal?
Stand-up seems like its the right fit--a lot of pitfalls, but I think it goes well with my lifestyle and personality. I don't know if I'll ever be working the road heavily, but I definitely want to do it as long as I can.
Imagine the peak of your career...
I think my dream career looks a lot like living in someplace like New York, but having a Seattle to escape to. I want to write, in all contexts, and I've wanted to make movies long before I thought about being a joketeller, so those are definitely in the plans.
I really want to perform all over the world, evolve things in general, and mix with a lot of other artists. Then, hopefully some useful stuff, social commentary on all the BS, literature, snotty waspy stuff in general, men's clubs and cigar and brandy rooms with cedar walls.
Oh, and lots of money, I want all that.
--this competition--
You had one of the more dramatic Preliminary Week experiences. Describe it.
It was a parabola of emotions--going into it with no expectations, starting strong, dying the next couple of nights, and then kind of surrendering ultimately to just telling the jokes and having a good time.
What do you know now that you didn't know before the competition started?
I think it made me think a lot about my jokes in the context of word economy and pace, how often is this joke funny, and how long am i filibustering. I also think being around a really diverse group of comics helps you look at your own comedy in a deeper sense.
And, knowing what you know now, would you still have entered the competition? Yes.
What'll be the key to your moving on to the finals?
Committing to my jokes and not trying to gain acceptance from the audience, that and confidence. That shit's more powerful than yellow cake and lying. Also, having fun--it might be the most important thing.
Do you think that being inthis competition will impact your comedy or your comedy career? And, if it does...how?
I still have no idea, hopefully positively.
And the worst moment?
After the third night, I'd gone over (the time penalty limit) and not even done stellar, I was laying in bed just angry at myself, kind of defeated. I was like "should I even do this anymore, am I delusional about my own talent." For a second I was even like, "maybe I should enlist?" I don't know why, but that was kind of the bottom.
--the final question--
Why should someone come see you perform your comedy in the semi-finals of this competition?
Well, anyone who comes to the show is going to see a diverse collection of really talented comics, so that's my generic platform, but I think I'm really funny too. Plus, I'm like this Cinderella Man kind of underdog, and who doesn't like to see those kind of odds play out, especially when I tie it to the American Dream and the Bible and stuff like that. But, seriously, I've made it farther than I thought I could already, so, I just want to have fun, making everyone else have fun, then we both win.
The Miracle Boy. A classic Riches To Rags To Riches story. He started the week off with a second place finish only to drop to as low as 12th place going into the last night. The fact that he did well in that final show was no surprise--but seeing him earn his way into the semi-finals from 12th place surprised everyone, including the performer himself. Call him the Comeback Kid. Call him the Heartbreaker. Call him a semi-finalist. He is ANDY HAYNES.
SeattleComedy.net's "Interview by E-Mail"w/Andy Haynes
Sorry this is late, I've been busy pinching myself.
No worries, Andy.
--background--
How old are you?
25
What is your hometown?
Born and raised in Seattle.
Did you start doing comedy in Seattle?
Started comedy at the Underground while commuting from Bellingham, for open-mics, my senior year.
You moved away from Seattle for awhile. What's the story there?
I graduated and moved to DC for two years. I arrived to a completely different kind of comedy scene, learned a lot, met a ton of great people, but last winter after seeing everything happening with the PRoK, I wanted to come back and be a part of it.
When did you start doing comedy?
The anniversary of the Tsunami is, unfortunately, also my comedy anniversary, so three years in December.
Well, I'm unemployed at the moment, so, technically, all I'm doing is comedy, but jokes aren't paying the bills yet.
And if you had a non-comedy job, what would you be doing?
I've been doing administrative type stuff since I graduated and picking up restaurant type of work to subsidize my poor spending habits. It's amazing how helpful a bachelor's degree has been in landing me jobs which I can just zone out and think about comedy while pretending to do.
I've been doing administrative type stuff since I graduated and picking up restaurant type of work to subsidize my poor spending habits. It's amazing how helpful a bachelor's degree has been in landing me jobs which I can just zone out and think about comedy while pretending to do.
--inspirations--
What are your first memories of stand-up comedy?
I remember always liking comedy, it captivated me, but I never thought about it as a possibility for myself. My parents watched it a lot on TV so, when I was by myself, I'd catch Comic Relief or whatever was on late.
I have this one memory of a stand-up going on a Nickelodeon show swearing, I loved it. If I put the numbers together and think hard, it seems like it was Tom Rhodes, but I'm not sure who would say "fuck it, I'm swearing on Nickelodeon whether they like it or not." Ballsy.
What made you decide to try it yourself?
I had been told that I should try it for a long time, but I never took it seriously till 2004 when Bush got elected the second time. I was so angry, and I realized that no matter how many marches and protests I was in, he was gonna be the President. I think it actually just turned funny at that point, "they're really gonna pick this guy, even democratically, all right..." I wanted to do some kind of political performance type thing and a friend and I were considering an acoustic thing, but then I rented that Bill Hicks Live DVD and I knew that was it. I went to my first open-mic a week later, watched, then tried it.
Who inspired you to become the kind of comedian you are?
I really got into being funny watching my uncle tell jokes over the dinner table as a kid, and then later I would work at a summer camp during high school and college. Every night we had campfires and a chance to be funny, it was a competition between my friends and I to see who could do the funniest skits, then came bragging rights and sometimes girls. Those are my two clearest influences.
I really got into being funny watching my uncle tell jokes over the dinner table as a kid, and then later I would work at a summer camp during high school and college. Every night we had campfires and a chance to be funny, it was a competition between my friends and I to see who could do the funniest skits, then came bragging rights and sometimes girls. Those are my two clearest influences.
And, who inspires you today?
I think I started liking the political or edgy guys, but really I like any comic that seems to be honestly talking about themselves or what they care about. It was definitely Hicks, Chappelle, Cross, Pryor, at first, but later it changed to really anyone that made me laugh. Right now, I can say the best performances I saw this last year were Patton Oswalt, Louis CK, Bill Burr and Zach Galifianakis, but there's so many more.
What else are you into?
I'm into the world; traveling, politics, culture, etc. Art in general, but movies and music seem to be the most of it. I watch a lot of soccer, mainly Arsenal. There was a while that I thought I was going to be a professional skier. Girls are still interesting, them and swimming in the summer.
And, do those interests inform your comedy?
I think my life informs my comedy, I try to be versatile, pour myself into things, try a lot of new stuff, but really its mainly the bad stuff that becomes jokes, being awkward or accident prone. Whenever I miss the bus, get an overdraft fee, break up, I'm looking for why its funny, or where's the joke.
Is stand-up comedy your ultimate career goal?
Stand-up seems like its the right fit--a lot of pitfalls, but I think it goes well with my lifestyle and personality. I don't know if I'll ever be working the road heavily, but I definitely want to do it as long as I can.
Imagine the peak of your career...
I really want to perform all over the world, evolve things in general, and mix with a lot of other artists. Then, hopefully some useful stuff, social commentary on all the BS, literature, snotty waspy stuff in general, men's clubs and cigar and brandy rooms with cedar walls.
Oh, and lots of money, I want all that.
--this competition--
You had one of the more dramatic Preliminary Week experiences. Describe it.
It was a parabola of emotions--going into it with no expectations, starting strong, dying the next couple of nights, and then kind of surrendering ultimately to just telling the jokes and having a good time.
What do you know now that you didn't know before the competition started?
I think it made me think a lot about my jokes in the context of word economy and pace, how often is this joke funny, and how long am i filibustering. I also think being around a really diverse group of comics helps you look at your own comedy in a deeper sense.
And, knowing what you know now, would you still have entered the competition? Yes.
What'll be the key to your moving on to the finals?
Committing to my jokes and not trying to gain acceptance from the audience, that and confidence. That shit's more powerful than yellow cake and lying. Also, having fun--it might be the most important thing.
Do you think that being inthis competition will impact your comedy or your comedy career? And, if it does...how?
I still have no idea, hopefully positively.
Who impressed you in this year's competition?
I liked everyone, and I gained a lot of respect for my week watching them work the rooms and do their thing. I thought Darren Frost really went out there and did his thing without any ego or worrying about acceptance, but everyone was really supportive and told their jokes the way they wanted to, so I admire that.
What's are some of your favorite moments from this year's competition so far?
I think the last night of my week was possibly the greatest night of my life, so that's easy.
I liked everyone, and I gained a lot of respect for my week watching them work the rooms and do their thing. I thought Darren Frost really went out there and did his thing without any ego or worrying about acceptance, but everyone was really supportive and told their jokes the way they wanted to, so I admire that.
What's are some of your favorite moments from this year's competition so far?
I think the last night of my week was possibly the greatest night of my life, so that's easy.
And the worst moment?
After the third night, I'd gone over (the time penalty limit) and not even done stellar, I was laying in bed just angry at myself, kind of defeated. I was like "should I even do this anymore, am I delusional about my own talent." For a second I was even like, "maybe I should enlist?" I don't know why, but that was kind of the bottom.
--the final question--
Why should someone come see you perform your comedy in the semi-finals of this competition?
Well, anyone who comes to the show is going to see a diverse collection of really talented comics, so that's my generic platform, but I think I'm really funny too. Plus, I'm like this Cinderella Man kind of underdog, and who doesn't like to see those kind of odds play out, especially when I tie it to the American Dream and the Bible and stuff like that. But, seriously, I've made it farther than I thought I could already, so, I just want to have fun, making everyone else have fun, then we both win.
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