A Comic’s Last Stand
Pete Bladel, a stand-up comedian with over 14 years of experience, is determined to make comedy his full-time job by the end of 2023...or quit altogether. Join Pete in A Comic’s Last Stand as he interviews fellow comedians, artists, and entertainers, discussing their creative journey, earning a living in their chosen field, and overcoming challenges along the way.
Episodes
In the final episode of A Comic's Last Stand, Pete discusses why he's ending the podcast now, what he's learned doing comedy over the last fifteen years, and what he plans to do next. Thanks for listening everybody.
Watch on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpHEELxlFnrj9Pls6L5VAkefCT_N92zem
Follow Pete here:
https://www.youtube.com/user/PeteBladel
"Muggsy McGeever" is a former stand-up comedian and author of the recently released short story collection "Ham Sandwiches." In this episode, Muggsy and Pete discuss their time performing stand-up together in DC and New York, Muggsy's decision to ultimately quit performing stand-up comedy, and the creative freedom and fulfillment he's found through writing.
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Lauren Hope Krass is a New York based comedian who, until recently, has primarily made her live performing for colleges and cruise ships. In this episode of "A Comic's Last Stand", Lauren and Pete discuss their shared appreciation for John Mayer, Lauren's experiences in the college and cruise ship circuits, and touch on a thrilling new opportunity that has emerged in her comedy career.
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Emily Walsh is a comedian and storyteller who recently completed a one month run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. In this episode of "A Comic's Last Stand", Emily discusses the process of starting comedy in her 30s, the highs and lows of her Fringe experience, and what she would do differently if she went back.
Watch on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpHEELxlFnrj9Pls6L5VAkefCT_N92zem
Listen to Emily's podca...
Jeff Simmermon is a comedian and storyteller who has been featured on "The Moth" and "This American Life." In this episode, Jeff discusses his journey into the worlds of storytelling and comedy, reflects on his corporate career in PR, and shares the origin of his upcoming one-man show, "Care Giver."
Watch on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpHEELxlFnrj9Pls6L5VAkefCT_N92zem
Buy tickets to Jeff's show on Sunday...
Gus Tate is a New York City comedian whose first special, Top Gus, is now available on YouTube. In this episode of "A Comic's Last Stand", Gus shares with Pete how he began his stand-up career in China, the influence of fatherhood on his comedy, and the evolution of his expectations over time.
Watch on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpHEELxlFnrj9Pls6L5VAkefCT_N92zem
Watch Gus's special:
Jared Freid is a New York based comedian whose recent Netflix special, 37 And Single, premiered in the Netflix Top Ten. In this episode of A Comic's Last Stand, Jared tells Pete how his experience selling life insurance laid the groundwork for his comedy career, delves into his shift in mindset since his special's release, and shares how comedy has impacted his dating life.
Watch on YouTube:
Brian Parise is a stand-up comedian and writer who has performed at the Montreal Just For Laughs Festival and written for Last Week Tonight with John Oliver and Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj. In this episode, Brian talks about hiding his early comedy pursuits from friends and coworkers, the moment he landed his first late-night writing position and subsequently quit his day job, and the freedom he's discovered by managing his expe...
Peter Muth is a comedian and musician, and notably, the only new friend Pete Bladel has made in his 30s. In this episode of A Comic's Last Stand, Peter (Muth) discusses with Pete (Bladel) his initial hesitation about starting stand-up, his journey to overcome result-oriented thinking and begin posting videos online, as well as his path to health and a deeper desire for more in life.
Watch on YouTube:
Adam Muller holds multiple graduate degrees from MIT and spent many years working on Wall Street...until he gave it all up to pursue stand-up comedy full time. In this episode of A Comic's Last Stand, Adam tells Pete the how and why of his transition from finance to stand-up, shares the ways his work ethic serves him in comedy, and provides his perspective on "burning material" by sharing it online.
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Liz Miele is a New York comedian who began performing stand-up at the age of 16. In this episode of A Comic's Last Stand, Liz (along with her cats Ghost and Lunchbox) joins the podcast to talk about the low point she experienced ten years into comedy, how she utilized marketing and social media to take control of her career, and the importance of staying grounded in your creative goals.
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A. Natasha Joukovsky is the author of the novel The Portrait of a Mirror and the writer behind the Substack Quite Useless. In this episode of A Comic's Last Stand, Natasha shares how she compartmentalizes her career as a novelist and as a management consultant, relays the details of her "DIY Summer Residency" as she works on her second novel, and discusses the concept she describes as "Fame's Inflection Point."
Watch on YouTube:
...J.P. McDade is a stand-up comedian and comedy writer who has appeared on Comedy Central's Roast Battle and at the Montreal Just For Laughs Comedy Festival. In this episode of A Comic's Last Stand, J.P. discusses hiding his comedy career from coworkers and bosses, the difficulties of earning a living through comedy writing, and the nuances of performing as an opening act on a national theater tour.
Watch on YouTube:
In the first remote episode of A Comic's Last Stand, Pete is joined by Evan Valentine, a former comedian and current writer for Comicbook.com. Evan tells Pete how he made the transition from stand-up comedy to his dream job of "writing about nerd stuff." He also recounts what made him decide to quit stand-up for good and shares his take on what's wrong with the movie industry today.
Watch on YouTube:
Ami Kozak is a comedian, musician, podcaster and content creator. After studying at Berklee College of Music, Ami embarked on a fruitful career, composing music for ads, film and TV, and releasing records with his band Distant Cousins. He always had an interest in comedy, and over the past few years, has harnessed the power of social media to gain a large online following.
In this episode of A Comic's Last Stand, Ami talks to Pete...
Lafayette Wright is another one of Pete's oldest friends in comedy. After performing together for years in Washington, DC, Pete and Lafayette both moved to New York City in 2012. Lafayette vividly shares his near-homelessness experience in New York, his return to DC to steady his career, and his reservations about the growing influence of technology in comedy.
Watch on YouTube:
Jeremy Pinsly is a New York City comedian who was in a situation similar to Pete - Struggling for stage time, searching for opportunities, and worrying about his future in comedy...until he decided to start a monthly stand-up show in his apartment. In this episode of A Comic's Last Stand, Jeremy talks to Pete about the story behind his apartment show, what he's working on now, and how playing tennis has helped his comedy career.
...
In March of 2020, comedian Eric Neumann had 1,700 Instagram followers and no TikTok account. As it stands today, he has 101k Instagram followers, over 400k on TikTok, and a robust touring schedule. Eric talks to Pete about how he grew his following throughout the pandemic, what it took for him to finally quit his day job, and how he's learned to take a break when it's needed.
Watch on YouTube:
Watch on YouTube:
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