happens to be who he is. I guess some people are that goofy. His thoughts zig where others zag.His wife, Trina, works as his Booking Agent, Manager, Merchandise Table "Volunteer" and Detail Person for each show. Currently she is putting together dates for a Fall-Winter 2007-08 tour that will take him to churches in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan and Tennessee. Until the tour starts Marty is performing single dates to keep his routine fresh while adding new material that will be featured on a CD/DVD combo to be released for Christmas 2007.
Recently Marty sat down for this interview with Erik Matthews anaspiring journalist currently attending THE Ohio State University.Do people expect you to be funny?
Honestly? Yeah, I mean when I'm on stage, I hope so. When I'm offstage they probably just think "This guys a little strange." Most of the time, they're probably right. I am a little strange. Don't you think?Why do you suppose people prefer comedy that's dirty or shocking?
I don't know that they do. Honestly what else is being offered to the masses? Take a look at the networks and Comedy Central. Sure, there's Brian Regan, Jim Gaffigan and a couple others that are clean but beyond that your scraping the bottom of the barrel again.I recently saw one of your shows in a church and was surprised that you talked about grief. How do you talk about grief in a comedy show?
The first thing is that comedy is about being honest. Most comedy is born out of tragedy. Just because I am a Christian doesn't mean I'm any different. I like to say it is the human experience. For years I tried to be "The good guy" but frankly life was kicking my butt. I was locked into a place I didn't belong and finally I had to confess it to God and then allow him to move me from there and it was all rooted in grief.On that level, I'm not so different than "normal people."
What's your material?It's pretty universal. I guess my incredible hatred of cats would not be a uniting message to the folks in PETA but that's probably the only thing I can think of that anyone would be offended by. Beyond that I look for what EVERYONE experiences car troubles, home repair, weight issues, neighbors, family, you know?
What makes a good comedian?Knowing when to say "WHEN." I know guys who have an hour and a half of material and every bit of it is funny but after the first 45 minutes to an hour the audience is ready to move on.
Do you have a stage persona?Not really. When I walk out there I want people to see ME. Who I think is a guy that pretty much anyone can relate too.
I've been to comedy clubs where the audience is just ruthless, waiting for you to suck. Have you ever had that experience?Not at all. everything I have ever done has worked. NOT! Honestly, Comedy Clubs and Churches are a lot alike in that respect and it is just as tough to be on stage when you feel like an audience is sizing you up. In that situation it is much harder to be funny. The one thing you can't force people to do is laugh. Unless you had a gun and then it would just be nervous laughs and those aren't fun at all.
What do you laugh at?I like stories. To me, stories are funnier than any joke teller. Stories seem more natural.
Does humor evolve?Sure. It's why we have Democrats and Republicans and Traffic Jams and Cell Phone humor. If it didn't evolve we'd still be talking about that crazy guy who thinks the world is round or that guy who thinks fire can actually be obtained.
Copyright (c) 2006,MartyDaniels.com.To inquire about booking Marty Daniels for a single date or as part of his 2007-2008 Fall/Winter tour visit http://www.MartyDaniels.com or call his office at 866-935-7539.
