Joe List began his comedy career in Boston, Massachusetts in 2000 just weeks after graduating from high school. Since that time List has been featured on Comedy Central’s ‘Live at Gotham’, Fox News ‘Red Eye’, The Artie Lange Show, AXSTV’s, Gotham Comedy Live and was also a semi-finalist on NBC’s ‘Last Comic Standing’. List has also twice been featured at the prestigious Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal as well as the Vancouver Comedy Festival and Oslo Comedy Festival. His album, So Far No Good can be heard regularly on Sirius Radio. List is also the co-host of his own popular weekly podcast, “Tuesdays with Stories” as well as being a regular on Robert Kelly’s, “You Know What Dude Podcast”. List resides in New York City, and when he is not on the road he can be seen regularly at the Comedy Cellar, Carolines on Broadway and Stand-Up New York comedy clubs. List considers himself to be a really nice guy.
Recovery Comedy: What were you like as a kid?
Joe List: As a kid I was very shy. Painfully shy. My parents took me to therapy because I never spoke to anybody, kids, family, teachers, dead people, nobody. Now I get bummed out if I don’t get the chance to talk to a whole bunch of strangers every night.
Recovery Comedy: What made you decide to become a stand-up comedian and how long have you been performing?
Joe List: I had wanted to be a stand-up comedian since I was a real little kid. I remember watching VH1’s Comedy Spotlight while I ate my cereal before school. It’s really all I’ve ever wanted to do so I just started doing it right after I graduated from high school around 13 years ago.
Recovery Comedy: Were you performing stand-up comedy before you got into recovery?
Joe List: I actually started doing comedy before I started drinking, so yeah, I was doing comedy well before I got into recovery. I had never had a drink until I was about 6 months into comedy. Then for a couple of years I wouldn’t have a drink until after my set. Then for a couple of years I would always have at least a couple before my set. Then I would often see how much I could possibly drink before a set and still perform.
Recovery Comedy: Does your comedy have a message and if so what is it?
Joe List: My comedy doesn’t really have any deliberate message I don’t think, but I certainly hope people are getting something out of it. I’m nervous and horny, I think people get that message quite a bit from my act.
Recovery Comedy: Who are your comedy idols?
Joe List: I have a lot of comedy idols. A few of them in no particular order: Larry David, Groucho Marx, Colin Quinn, Gary Gulman, Nick DiPaolo, George Carlin, Bill Hicks, Bugs Bunny, Jerry Seinfeld.
Recovery Comedy: Where does your inspiration for material come from?
Joe List: My inspiration for my material comes from anything that makes me nervous, uncomfortable or horny or all 3….which is most everything by the way.
Recovery Comedy: What is your joke writing process?
Joe List: My joke writing process involves a lot of napping. When something makes me nervous, uncomfortable or horny, I write it down then take a nap. Then I’ll try to write it out and come up with as many punchlines as possible for it. Then I’ll nap. Then I’ll try it onstage and record. Then I’ll sleep. Then the next day I’ll listen to the set from the night before, then nap then write more. Nap, write, nap write.
Recovery Comedy: What is your kryptonite?
Joe List: My kryptonite is anxiety and also kryptonite.
Recovery Comedy: Is your family supportive of your comedy career?
Joe List: My family is and has always been very supportive of my career. My parents and extended family have come out to hundreds of shows and are always unbelievably supportive and rarely heckle anymore.
Recovery Comedy: Is comedy part of your healing process?
Joe List: Comedy is a huge part of my healing process. I don’t know what I would have done without it. It’s hard to imagine what my life would be like if not for comedy. It wouldn’t be pretty, I’m sure.
Recovery Comedy: What was your worst experience performing comedy?
Joe List: I did a huge showcase show for a bunch of managers and agents one time and had built it up in my head as my big shot and I ended up having one of the worst sets of my life. At the time, that was pretty devastating to me. But looking back now I actually leaned some valuable lessons about comedy as well as life so it wasn’t as bad as I thought, but in that moment it was the low point of my comedy career.
Recovery Comedy: What was your best experience performing comedy?
Joe List: It’s hard to pick just one best comedy experience but this past year in sobriety I’ve had a lot of really great shows that I was completely present for and as a result really enjoyed and appreciated more than I ever had before. So there’s a bunch of experiences tied at the top I think.
Recovery Comedy: What is your favorite joke?
Joe List: Well this is embarrassing and I could probably get beat up for saying this but I have to say my favorite joke of all time is: the guy who gets a knock on his door and looks down and sees a snail, he picks up the snail and throws it across his yard as far as he can. Three months later he hears another knock on the door and it’s the snail again. The snail looks up and says ‘what the hell was that all about?’
Now I think I can get kicked out of comedy for choosing that joke but I really think it’s a great joke with some good life lessons in it. Sorry.
Recovery Comedy: What is your comedy dream?
Joe List: My comedy dream is just to keep performing as much and as long as possible. Preferably for people who came out to see me specifically…and also to make more than $16,000 in a year.
To find out more information about Joe List or to book him for your next Recovery Event just click here!
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