Thursday, March 31, 2011
Comedy Speakeasy with Sean Patton
Posted by Noah Gardenswartz on Thu, Mar 31, 2011 at 1:50 PM
You are in the midst of a big year, and things are really starting to happen for you. Is there anything you recently changed about your approach, or was it just a matter of time before people started paying attention and your opportunities got better?
I would say it’s been a little bit of both. You just keep working and going and then you get a little bit of attention, and things start happening. People think it gets easier, but in reality it gets harder because then you’re expected to produce so much more. You know, people don’t realize if I do a TV spot, that’s pretty much a solid part of my act that I’m not going to do anymore. Even with this album, it’ll be 45 minutes of material which I’m basically retiring, and saying, ‘if you guys want to hear this again, buy the album.’ I actually don’t want to say it’s harder, I’ll just say it never gets easier. It’s just a matter of doing more as you get better at what you do.
Congrats on the first album. Is there a particular reason why you chose to do it in Atlanta at the Laughing Skull?
Thanks, I’m pretty fucking excited about it. I’ve never spent a week actually in Atlanta, every time I’ve come out there I’ve been in the suburbs, but every show I’ve done in the area the people seemed really into the comedy. As for recording at the Skull, the size and acoustics of it are great, and you can really control your audience better; rarely do you see a show get away from the comedian in a room that size. If you try to do a taping in a club with 300 or 400 seats it’s harder to control than a room with 75 people.
I know you’re originally a southerner, because you were part of the "Atypical Southern Comedy Quartet" (with Rory Scovel, Jarrod Harris and Nate Bargatze). Where do you live now?
I’ve been living in New York for four years, but for the past two and a half months I’ve been in LA. I came out here for pilot season which is a ridiculous concept, because everybody comes to LA for pilot season. Like EVERY one. And all the industry people act like there’s gonna be pilots for all of us. It’s like we’re back in the depression and we’re the fucking poor in line for our bowl of soup that five of us are gonna share. But you know, you have to do it, everyone has to put in their time.
That’s true, but LA for pilot season has to be a better way to “put in your time” than however you started, right?
Oh man, for the first four and a half years I did stand-up in New Orleans, which is still a small scene today, but it was a rally small scene back then. There were like five of us that all wanted to be comics and make it happen down there. It was hard, and we didn’t really know what we were doing, but we also got to try so much out because when you’re booking yourself as the headliner, you have to headline. You know, you just do it.
You’re known for constantly working new material out. Has that always been your process, or did you ever used to stick with a consistent set?
My thing is, I never stop writing, and I never will stop writing. You see a lot of people get enough material where they just stop and coast off of what they have for as long as they can, which usually isn’t that long. But even if a joke works, I’ll keep writing it and making it better.
Latest in Fresh Loaf
-
U.S. Rep. Gingrey: Kids need to 'have a class' reinforcing traditional gender roles 10
Marietta Congressmen supports the Defense of Marriage Act in remarks to Congress
-
Atlanta almost looks like NYC in 'Anchorman 2' trailer
This one should be good for my new favorite movie-watching drinking game: drink when you recognize Atlanta
-
Congressman John Lewis to deliver keynote at Decatur Book Festival
2013 Decatur Book Festival keynote speaker and lineup announced
- More »
Search Fresh Loaf
