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| Comedian Corey Forrester |
KnoxComedy: Do you remember the moment you first had fun on stage doing comedy?
Corey: About 8 years ago, it was my second time on stage ever (The first time was at a mexican bar and grill, it was brutal as most would imagine). It was at The Comedy Catch (now my home club) during one of their "Open mics", I put that in quotes to show sarcasm, back then there wasn't really an open mic per say, it was a band show that took place in the bar area where comedians would be thrown in randomly... The crowd never calmed, smoke filled the air... It was a nightmare for newer comics who hadn't developed their "dealing with the crowd" chops yet. Several comedians went before me and bit it pretty hard, I'll be honest, I was nervous. When it was my time to go, I hit the stage, grabbed the mic and told the crowd to, "Shut the hell up and pay attention, the band will be back on shortly" They did, and my first joke hit really hard, they were with me from the get go and I remember feeling a calm over myself, I did 8 minutes... An absolute eternity at that point, especially considering I only had 5 minutes worth of material.... All about my penis of course. The way I felt after taming that crowd after so many funny guys were unable to was the first good feeling comedy had given me... It certainly was not the last.
KnoxComedy: What is an accomplishment some might know from your time in comedy?
Corey: Comedians may know me from my time spent at the top of the very popular comedy website Rooftopcomedy.com. They featured me on their Daily 8 quite a bit and I was the first comedian featured on their "Quick Bits" section. As for right now, I am pretty well an unknown, I did just record a song with Cledus T Judd that will be on his new cd, maybe once that comes out people will know who I am!
KnoxComedy: Who are your idol comics?
Corey: George Carlin, Sam Kennison, Louis Ck, Dale Jones,Tim Wilson, Jerry Seinfeld, Big Ed Caylor, Cousin Ricky Peardon, Ron Shock, Greg Giraldo, Bill Hicks... Plenty more who influenced me, this is just the top of my head.
KnoxComedy: What is right/wrong with stand-up comedy today?
Corey: What is right about stand up comedy today is that there are all types of acts being developed... I don't like to use the word "Alternative", as Tim Wilson once said about Alternative Music "Alternative to what? Something that sounds worth a fuck?" I like to say, non traditional. Back in the day, the only guy who really hit it mainstream doing something other than "set up, punch" was Andy Kaufman... Now there are tons of those guys and I absolutely love it... It's not my style, but it is refreshing and a nice change of pace. What is wrong in my opinion, is the entitlement of a lot of young comedians (and older not funny ones). This idea that once you have put in x amount of time, you deserve to be featuring, or you deserve to be headlining.. Or you deserve this cherry gig, or this sweet spot in the line up. No one owes you anything, and I include myself... I deserve nothing simply based on the fact that I have been doing stand up for 8 years, if I deserve something, it's because the time I put in produced good material. I will admit that there were times early on when I thought I should be further along (I shouldn't have been), every comic has... But the fact is, just because you are killing at the open mic (in front of a crowd you brought) does not mean the club owner is a dick for not putting you on the main stage. Dues are different for every comic... This will never change, and we will never truly accept it.
Corey will be appearing this Thursday and Friday at 1341 Grill in Sevierville, Tennessee.
1341 Grill
1341 Dolly Parton Parkway
Sevierville, TN 37862
865.453.0100
