Interviews: Joel Kim Booster, Beth Stelling, & Chris Fleming At Vulture Festival

L to R clockwise: Beth Stelling, Chris Fleming & Joel Kim Booster. Photo Credit: Amy Sussman/Getty Images for Vulture.

This past weekend, Vulture Festival brought in some of the biggest stars of TV and film for reunions, sneak peaks, and all around fun times. But they also had to shine a light on comedians, of course. After all, Los Angeles is a hotbed of killer stand-up comedy, after all.

To do so, they closed out the festival right on Sunday night with a bunch of comedy heavyweights: Joel Kim Booster, Beth Stelling, Chris Fleming, Naomi Ekperigin, and Jamie Loftus. Needless to say, audiences were in for a treat as they packed into a sold-out studio space turned makeshift comedy club.

You’re getting to wear a few hats this weekend, hosting a panel and a comedy showcase. Tell me about what brought you out to Vulture Fest.

Well for me, any excuse for attention is a huge draw for me as a person with a personality disorder,” Booster told us on the red carpet about appearing at the festival. “But Vulture Fest in particular is kind of special because Vulture has really been on the ground floor of supporting me at a time before my movie, before I was on Hulu or anything like that. They’ve been really supportive of me as a comedian when I was just in Brooklyn doing bar shows for 30 people. They have a really wonderful sort of propensity to find people that are coming up.

I loved your last hour and even got to see you earlier this year at Netflix is a Joke. So where are you at with the next hour?

I’m touring currently the new iteration of the hour. For me, when I’m getting ready to do a special, I’m always trying to think of ‘Okay, if I’m going to call it a special, what is special about it?’ I just sort of landed on the connective tissue of this hour that makes it a special or makes it a show. I’m working with directors now to figure out how to take it to the next level. So this tour is me really presenting the show, now that I’ve figured what the beginning, middle, and end of it is. And it still is an hour of great jokes, but it also has a really nice through line that connects it all together in hopefully a satisfying way.

I’ve only got to see you in intimate spaces. Do you prefer doing smaller rooms or bigger theaters when you’re on the road?

This is the thing. Comedy is interesting because it’s so segmented. The comedy audience has just expanded in the last 10 to 15 years in such a way where it’s no longer just one kind of audience that’s interested in one type of comedy. I’m very happy selling out 350-500 seat venues and having that experience with people who are really smart and interested in the kind of comedy that I want to make. And I don’t necessarily think that I ever want to do big theaters and big stadium shows because so much of what I do onstage is about connecting with the audience and forming that relationship, doing a lot of crowd work. And I think, for me, you lose some of that when you have to adjust to doing a 3,000 seat theater. And it’s a different skill set. I admire so many of my peers that really do thrive at the Greek. And I’ll do okay, but I really prefer to look the audience in the eye and really form that connection. I’m really content exactly where I am.”

Hey there. Andrew Buss from 800 Pound Gorilla News. 

Oh hell yeah. I love 800 Pound Gorilla. I think it’s great! I remember back in 2017, my manager was like “800 Pound Gorilla likes what you do.” It was a nice support thing. I appreciate that.

I’m a big fan, and I absolutely loved your last special, Hell. And the fact that you did it at Dynasty Typewriter was icing on the cake.

Thanks! I get sweaty on that stage. I wanted to show the struggle. In the first show, my glasses got all fogged up. That’s when I know I’m struggling.”

For a performer that’s so physical and really connects with the audience, do you prefer doing a special in a more intimate space versus a big theater?

That one absolutely had to. I also think you can do much more material faster, because in a big theater you can do a joke and then run an errand. You can sit back and relax. So I wanted to see myself working for the money. And also being in the intimate setting and making it feel kind of old and funky.

I love that.

But between you and me, the next one will be in a bigger venue. The new hour’s going great.

It’s so great to get to talk to you again. I’ve seen you drop into many shows in LA and it’s always a treat.

Thank you! (She gets briefly interrupted to tell her the panel starts in five minutes). It’s not a panel. It’s stand-up. And it’s one of those things where I like to walk into a show at the exact time that it starts.

Do you like closing out the show in these situations?

I think there’s the headliner spot, that’s like the closer, and historically that is the best comic on the show if you’re doing a comedy club on the road.

Right, of course.

But I think sometimes around LA headliners like to sneak in around spot number three, that’s the sweet spot.

Before they get tired.

Yeah, exactly. They’re paying attention.

I know you‘ve done theaters throughout the country. But I think every time I’ve seen you has been in a smaller venue. Is that what you prefer?

Yes. I feel so much better in a small club. Low ceilings, crowd close to me, me on not such a high stage. I like being amongst the people.

Absolutely. You did something I’ve never seen anyone do at the Den Theater in Chicago. You came out first to say hi, but then brought out two opening acts that were just musicians, as opposed to having your traditional stand-up openers. And that’s something that’s so unique that always stuck with me. It’s a different type of experience.

Yes. I love that. Especially since I have so many talented musician friends. I just like to set the tone, like ‘We’re gonna have fun.’ And also, I’m not your classic ‘hit you over the head with a punchline.’ It’s more of like a scavenger hunt. So best of luck to everyone. And I like to prepare people for that. Listening and enjoying.