Comedian and writer Joe Nunnink has been showcasing his comedic talents for years. From his viral sketch comedy clips on social media to his collaborations with Adult Swim and popular YouTuber MeatCanyon, Joe has geared up and prepared for his newest comedic adventure: his debut stand-up comedy special.
Joe’s special, titled Keep the Change, is set to premiere on 800 Pound Gorilla’s YouTube channel after many years of building an online audience and garnering attention in New York City’s comedy scene, having been selected as a New York Comedy Festival Creator To Watch in 2023.
We had the opportunity to chat with Joe ahead of the release of his special, and he let us in on some behind-the-scenes of filming at The Gutter in Brooklyn, his comedy influences and some exciting upcoming projects.
Tell us a little bit about how you prepared for this special and the process of gathering the material you wanted to use.
"Some of the material goes back to 2017, when I was five years into comedy. I used to mostly tell stories to fill time when I started in the Midwest and a lot of those have been chucked in the garbage, but a few of them became my babies, and I knew I wanted to put them in this special. I was able to put together a little tour last summer before I recorded. That’s where I found the flow of the hour, and figured out which exact bits were going to make it in. I’d say half of the material is a “best-of” from years ago, and the other half were bits I’d been doing in the two years leading up to the recording."
Why did you decide to film the special at The Gutter?
"I thought it was the perfect size and low-key vibe for my first special. The benefit is that a lot of other comics have recorded there so people are familiar with recording in the space, which eliminates a lot of hassle. David Drake and Mike Lebowitz put on a great show in CYSK in the back room there, and assist with producing live tapings. They were kind enough to host my special taping as a CYSK event, and assist with marketing and filling seats. For me that was invaluable."
When did you realize you had a passion for making people laugh?
"When I realized I was never going to be an athlete, grow as tall as my peers, or shed my baby weight. It was either make people laugh or die a virgin. My parents divorce helped my brothers and I find humor as kids. If we weren’t making each other laugh we would have just been sad."
Who do you think influenced the way you perform comedy?
"When I was a kid I loved watching David Cross, Jon Stewart, and Chappelle on Comedy Central but when I started in stand-up I was really influenced by Nate Bargatze, Woody Allen, and Bob Newhart."
This is your debut comedy special, but you’ve been making sketch comedy videos on social media for years. What were some things you learned about recording a stand-up special versus what you know about making sketches?
"There’s not a lot that translates between a live recording of stand-up and the kind of sketches that I make, except you better get good clean audio or it’s useless."
What is your dream venue to perform stand-up at?
"I’ve never been too obsessed with the idea of performing at a particular venue, other than any good club with low ceilings, a stage that’s not too high, and butts in seats. I think comedy is better in clubs than big concert venues. People say Comedy on State is a great club. I’d like to perform there sometime."
What do you hope the audience takes away from your special?
“This guy is really funny. I want to go see him live and follow his career.”
Do you have a favorite joke/story from your special?
"The closer about the pizza delivery has always been one of my favorite bits, but I’m proud of the LEGOLAND chunk, because a lot of it I finally fleshed out in the weeks leading up to the recording."
Do you have any upcoming live shows coming up?
"I’ll be headlining The Comedy Club of Kansas City Thursday, June 19th."
What can fans of your comedy look forward to in the future? Sneak peak into any other exciting new projects
"I’m going to be writing for an animated pilot that’s been ordered from a streamer. If we do a good job, hopefully they’ll take it to series. Other than that, I’m going to keep making sketches and try to put together a mini-tour in the fall and winter."
Tune in to Joe's debut special, Keep The Change, on June 10th at 7 PM CST!