With Preliminary Week Two coming into the home stretch and the semi-finals on the horizon, it's time to get to know another one of this year's Seattle International Comedy Competition Semi-Finalists.
Hoping that the third time's the charm, our next semi-finalist has begun to live up to his early promise and has gained valuable experience along the way. With a voice that is both confident and uniquely personal, he's unlike almost any other performer in this competition. He is smart, he is unashamed of who he is and what he wants to say and, most of all, he isn't needy. Whether you agree with him or not, whether you find him funny or not, he's now strong enough not to panic or pander. He finished Preliminary Week One in third place...already, he's gone further in this competition than his two previous attempts. He is GEOFF LOTT.
SeattleComedy.net's "Interview by E-Mail"
w/Geoff Lott
--background--
How old are you?Hoping that the third time's the charm, our next semi-finalist has begun to live up to his early promise and has gained valuable experience along the way. With a voice that is both confident and uniquely personal, he's unlike almost any other performer in this competition. He is smart, he is unashamed of who he is and what he wants to say and, most of all, he isn't needy. Whether you agree with him or not, whether you find him funny or not, he's now strong enough not to panic or pander. He finished Preliminary Week One in third place...already, he's gone further in this competition than his two previous attempts. He is GEOFF LOTT.
SeattleComedy.net's "Interview by E-Mail"
w/Geoff Lott--background--
33
What is your hometown?
Maple Valley, WA
Did you start doing comedy there?
Not officially.
Where are you living now?
Kirkland, WA
Did you move there for comedy?
No.
When did you start doing comedy?
In clubs, since 2001, but (I've) dabbled since 1998.
Is comedy your full time job?
Nope.
Tell us about your first comedy performance?
I think it was around 1998 at Galway Arms, an Irish Pub in the U-District. I did 6 minutes ahead of a friend's acoustic band, got heckled by a drunk, and forgot my material, instead bashing him for 4 minutes, but it sounded like I was having a conversation with him. My jokes stunk but my comebacks were stellar. I did maybe 5 more sets after that until 2001.
--inspirations--
What are your first memories of stand-up comedy?
Bill Cosby, Jonathan Winters, Steve Martin. I was about 3 or so when I started listening to those records, and never really stopped. Started watching everything that was on TV. I listened to everything I could, the stories kept me riveted. I was a fat little kid who's "friends" stole his new bike when I was 5.
What made you decide to try it yourself?
I saw a live show at the Comedy Underground - Joe Vespaziani was headlining - and I had never seen somebody be that smart, conversational, and crushingly funny. It inspired me to go try it, because it was like seeing what I wanted from comedy, and I wanted to do that. I needed the validation I never got from women in my early teen years.
No.
When did you start doing comedy?
In clubs, since 2001, but (I've) dabbled since 1998.
Nope.
What is it that you do?
Project Manager and Business Analyst
Project Manager and Business Analyst
Tell us about your first comedy performance?
I think it was around 1998 at Galway Arms, an Irish Pub in the U-District. I did 6 minutes ahead of a friend's acoustic band, got heckled by a drunk, and forgot my material, instead bashing him for 4 minutes, but it sounded like I was having a conversation with him. My jokes stunk but my comebacks were stellar. I did maybe 5 more sets after that until 2001.
--inspirations--
What are your first memories of stand-up comedy?
Bill Cosby, Jonathan Winters, Steve Martin. I was about 3 or so when I started listening to those records, and never really stopped. Started watching everything that was on TV. I listened to everything I could, the stories kept me riveted. I was a fat little kid who's "friends" stole his new bike when I was 5.
What made you decide to try it yourself?
I saw a live show at the Comedy Underground - Joe Vespaziani was headlining - and I had never seen somebody be that smart, conversational, and crushingly funny. It inspired me to go try it, because it was like seeing what I wanted from comedy, and I wanted to do that. I needed the validation I never got from women in my early teen years.
Who inspired you to become the kind of comedian you are?
Comic-wise, those like Giraldo, Attell, Stanhope, and Silverman. Locally, Duane Goad, Joe Vespaziani, Lamont Ferguson, Brad Upton have been influential. Of course, my family. Mom & dad have always been jokers, mom's a little twisted and dad's very subtle, like Bill Murray meets Steve Martin. My sister's funnier than I am. My wife wants me to push myself, and she's taught me about persistence and focus. I crave attention from strangers.
Comic-wise, those like Giraldo, Attell, Stanhope, and Silverman. Locally, Duane Goad, Joe Vespaziani, Lamont Ferguson, Brad Upton have been influential. Of course, my family. Mom & dad have always been jokers, mom's a little twisted and dad's very subtle, like Bill Murray meets Steve Martin. My sister's funnier than I am. My wife wants me to push myself, and she's taught me about persistence and focus. I crave attention from strangers.
And, who inspires you today?
Too many to name, but guys like Lewis Black and Marc Maron, David Cross, Paul F. (Tompkins), Duane Goad, Joe Vespaziani, Stanhope, Sarah Silverman... it could go on forever. Anybody who is fearless and unique on-stage is inspiring. I'm not comfortable in my own skin.
Beyond comedy, what interests you?
Writing for TV and Movies, politics (interpersonal, mostly), conspiracy theory, cooking, wine, bodyweight exercises, financial planning, the end of Reality TV. What I want is irrelevant to what the crowd demands of me.
And, do those interests inform your comedy?
Life influences my comedy.
How so?
If something strikes me as ironic or angers me, even if it's minutiae, it will end up in my act. I need to have people pay attention to me or my inner child cries.
Is stand-up comedy your ultimate career goal?
No, but stand-up is part of it. I'd like to write some TV and movies and a book or 3. I will end up making a career out of writing and performing and entertaining people. I can't make relationships work so I drink too much to fill the void.
At the peak of your career, if everything goes the way you want, what are you doing?
--this competition--
How did your preliminary week go?
It went about how I thought it would, in the end. I accepted that not every room would LOOOOVE me, and if I just went out and did the best I could, I'd be fine. I was really happy about the group I got to perform with, too. No in-fighting, no attention-whores, just fun people to perform with.
What do you know now that you didn't know before the competition started? Before my first competition, I didn't know of the Scoring-induced Panic Attacks. But now I know about the need to constantly change things moment-to-moment and doubt everything you think you should do on-stage, at least to get the energy going internally.
And, knowing what you know now, would you still have entered the competition? Knowing that my wife would be complaining about how little I’ve been at home the past 2 weeks after she pushed me into doing it this year, I give that a hot, steamy YES.
What do you think will be the key to your moving on to the finals?
The Gorgeous, Smart, Hip judges, of course. And a few semifinalists' unresolved emotional issues.
Does this competition impact your comedy or your comedy career?
I'm already getting a lot of gigs from it, invites to other clubs, corporate gigs, and the respect I deserve from the open mic'ers.
Who impressed you in this year's competition?
Lizzy Pilcher, Andy Haynes, Kyle Harbert, and Leif Skyving. I'd heard of Leif but never saw him. Great comic, great guy. Kyle just went for it and said "This is me, love it or... oh, you love it!" Andy Haynes has come a long way in the past year. Lizzy is really starting to make serious strides as a performer. Peter Greyy’s diligence is always impressive. I don’t know how he does it every night.
What's are some of your favorite moments from this year's competition so far?
I got to see my best friend Russ and his wife Katie the night of the Longview show. That’s always a good time. Seeing my buddy Dave in Bellingham after 10 years. And Darren Frost’s full-blown Darren Frost set in Bellingham. It was gorgeous in a Grace Jones kind of way.
Lizzy Pilcher, Andy Haynes, Kyle Harbert, and Leif Skyving. I'd heard of Leif but never saw him. Great comic, great guy. Kyle just went for it and said "This is me, love it or... oh, you love it!" Andy Haynes has come a long way in the past year. Lizzy is really starting to make serious strides as a performer. Peter Greyy’s diligence is always impressive. I don’t know how he does it every night.
What's are some of your favorite moments from this year's competition so far?
I got to see my best friend Russ and his wife Katie the night of the Longview show. That’s always a good time. Seeing my buddy Dave in Bellingham after 10 years. And Darren Frost’s full-blown Darren Frost set in Bellingham. It was gorgeous in a Grace Jones kind of way.
And the worst moment?
Probably the Bellingham night, and that wasn't that bad. Personally, I should have handled it from the stage without all of the spitting and throwing of things.
--the final question--
Why should someone come see you perform your comedy in the semi-finals of this competition?
Because 9 other fantastic comics will be there, also. I'll be about 10% of the show, by my calculations, and will do the same thing I've always done. But waaaaaaaay better There's such a diverse group of comics in it this year, everyone will go home happy.
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