My Debut Comedy Album!

What a year it has been! I recorded my very first comedy album “Bomb Threat” at the GRAND OPENING of the brand new location of Goodnights Comedy Club in Raleigh, NC on January 18, 2023. What an honor to be the very first headliner at their very first show! The staff at Goodnights worked tirelessly to help get the new club open in time for my big day. I am eternally grateful to the incredible people of Goodnights and the Helium Network. I’m so grateful to Jeremy Essig for producing my album with Rhizome Comedy. To every single person who came to the show and encouraged others go to, THANK YOU! Massive thanks to the Raleigh comedy scene for showing up to support! I felt the love, y’all! And enormous thanks to my friends, family, and fans who traveled from all over the States to attend. From Utah, Idaho, Pittsburgh, Philly, State College, California, NYC — we even had attendees from the great town of Apex, NC who braved 64 and 440 E to be there. Special starstruck thanks to Laurel Holloman who saw my joke about The L Word (specifically her and her character, Tina) and encouraged her fans to come! :)

If you are a lesbian in your 30s, take a second to feel how I felt. 🤩🤯🥰

Now imagine that feeling across all platforms.

As if an L Word shout out wasn’t enough, I was SO lucky to have some of my all-time favorite comedians come to Raleigh open for me on recording night! I am eternally grateful to one of my best mates, Ashley Gutermuth @ashgutermuth, for coming in from New Jersey to host for me. Ashley and I met in Seattle at an open mic and it was friends at first sight! Thank you to EJ Masicampo @ejmmasicampo (NC’s Funniest 2022!) and Khristin Brooks @thereal_khrissyysf 2 of my absolute fave comics I meet in NC. Both are so kind and funny and truly blow me away every time they take the stage. And last but not least, thanks to Liz Glazer @lizglazer who is a friend and a comedy mentor, who is always available to answer my endless questions and give me kind and wise guidance. I was so honoured to have such an incredible group of comedians and humans show up for my big night. Thank, y’all! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Bomb Threat was released on May 12th, which was the same day the Jonas Brothers released The Album. The charts were BURNING UP. (Where my litle Jonies at?! Jonatics? What is the Jonas equivalent of a Fanson?) Back at my fave comedy club / old stompies, Goodnights, I had an album release party accompanied by a Helen Wildy & Friends show feat NC’s finest: Aaron Ransom, Isatu Kamara, Mike Mello , Mark Brady, Brandi Roberts, Sasha Goodman, Weston Suggs, and Jeremy Alder! Wow wow wow, 9 friends?! Take that, 6th grade!

Actually, arrow, I’m down here.

Bomb Threat debuted #2 on iTunes and Amazon and #1 was LIZ GLAZER ,whom I adore. The very Liz Glazer who flew in from Jersey to open for me at my album recording. :) Three was Weird Al, whom I also adore. (Speaking adjacently of the Jonas Brothers, did you know Weird Al is tight with Hanson?! Peep that tambourine player.)

What does a girl have to do to get a review?

And in MASSIVE LIFE NEWS, Sirius XM picked up my tracks!! Woo!! I can be heard on Laugh USA, Rawdog, and She’s So Funny! Thanks to everyone for buying the album, streaming on Spotify, and listening on Sirius! I’m so grateful for all of you.

xoxo,

Helen

PS. All good photos by Davlin Nichols @8bit.photog who absolutely CRUSHED it at my album recording. Thanks, DJ!

Photo, of course, by Dalvin (DJ) Nichols!

April? More like ApTHRILL.

April! What a month. What a Nardini (am I right, Gillies?) 2022 is flying by in a steady stream of comedy shows and family fun. I’m looking back on April, which was chock full of travel and comedy. The month started with an adorable birthday bingo card on our fridge (thanks, Victoria!) and I got to spend the entirety of April collecting fun experiences! Highly recommend as a bday treat to anyone looking for a fun gift.

Get you a girl who gets you :)

Birthday BINGO wasn’t the only surprise to kick off April — there was a massive snake laying ON TOP of the bushes in front of my house. On TOP. Hey, snake, are you Beyonce’s love? Because you were put on TOP. Consult my SNAKEGATE story highlight on my Instagram to experience the full terror and delight of the snake saga. It has been confirmed that I’m absolutely not a Slytherin. But I called a local legend, NC Snake Catcher, who came and removed the snake and took it to greener pastures. #notoallheroeshatesnakes

Get the full SNAKEGATE experience 🪱

April was a month of travel: I went whale watching on the coast of Washington State with my honey; flew straight from Seattle to Northern Ireland for my cousin’s wedding (Congrats again, Chris and Emily!), and came back just in time to spend my birthday weekend in Wilmington, NC , featuring at Dead Crow Comedy for for Jesus Trejo! Days on Carolina Beach, nights at the club, it was a perfect birthday. BINGO.

Jesus Trejo is an absolute killer on the stage and an absolute joy and sweetie offstage. Check him out! I also got to do STAND UP in the homeland!! First time ever! Big shout out to the Irish bookers! I went up at the Pavilion in my hometown of Belfast and then at ChickenBox in Derry! The comedians were so funny and lovely. ‘Twas a good craic, indeed. Make sure you’re checking out all the insane local comedy talent all over if you’re back home!

Don’t worry, I’m an aspiring photojournalist:

Comedy friends at House of Art in Raleigh, NC

Carolina Crunch, y’all. NC’s best-kept secret.

Beach fires with my babe out on the Olympic Peninsula

Beach wine!

un-wine-ding

Cape Flattery: The most NW point of the continental US!

You Cape Flatter Me.

Stumped.

“Lots of little trees, together… equals BIG TREES.” - Child Zac Hanson from the straight to VHS 90s classic, Tulsa, Tokyo, and the Middle of Nowhere. #IYKYK

Views 😍

Imagine all the whale sounds

Looking for whales and werewolves in La Push, WA

Straight from Seattle to Dublin ☘️

As Ed Sheehan would call it, the castle on the hill ☘️

Starstruck by these Irish legends

Pulled over to take in the views

I got to perform at The Pavilion (on the Ormeau Road, if you will 😂) in Belfast! 😍☘️

Shout out to these cousins, aunts, uncles, and friends who came to the show! What a turn out! ❤️

Forgot to get a group photo with everyone who came to the Pavilion show, but was able to get this cute cousin pic!

My next gig took me to Derry and I had to make a special pitstop #derrygirls

Cousins at the wedding in Fermanagh❤️

Brother! Auntie Heather! Cousin Ellen! Lough Erne!

Armagh and Arpagh, like

Shout out to the new Mr & Mrs on their wedding and their impeccable taste in treats

Cousinly fun

Sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name. ❤️🍫

My fashion icon: my cousin, Laura. 🤩

Obligatory Guinness shot with my lovely cousin, Dave!

Squad goals

My mini me cousin Chloe SHOWING UP WITH THE GOODS ❤️🙌🥳

A wee chippy at the rugby match, like

STAND UP FOR THE ULSTER MAN

Quite a diplomatic breakfast sign

Jimmy & Geraldine took me in when I had to stay an extra 5 days!

Six Mile Water. County Antrim

Reunited and it feels so good ❤️

Birthday rentals

Grateful 🥳🎂

Dead Crow Comedy in Wilmington, NC is so much fun! Go check out shows and hit up the beach. It’s the absolute best. Here’s a clip of some fun crowd work at Dead Crow!

xoxo

A March to Remember

Hellloooo! March has come and gone in the blink of an eye. And what did we learn? Well! My fave spot in Raleigh, Goodnights Comedy Club is moving to a new home! Huge news! Still in Raleigh! But what a historic moment! That club opened in 1983 so it’s the same age as my partner, Victoria! The halls are lined with black and white headshots of every celeb who has passed through and let me tell you: Ain’t no headshot like an 80s headshot.

🎶One last timeeeee

Love my colleagues 🤩

Raleigh excited to be here #punloversunite

March was also Women’s History Month and saw a lot of comedy! My friend Collin Chamberlin came into NC and I had the pleasure of opening for him out in Asheville! He flew in from NYC and we drove out from Raleigh to Asheville, had dinner and a walk around downtown Asheville before hitting the show and driving home. It was a ton of fun.

Road dogs. Aaaawooooooo!

If I may paraphrase RENT: Show Day But Today.

Some show highlights this month include: Getting to do my first (and second!) featuring set at Gooodnights Comedy Club! First for K-Von whose conservative crowd made me a bit nervous, I’ll be honest. But they were sweet and a lot of fun. Then I got to feature upstairs for the hilarious Kellen Erskine! Helen and Kellen? You kidding me? Let’s take this on the road. I went blonder. Did a final showcase at Goodnights for their closing weekend. Had an epic show in Mebane, NC — an adorable town with insane sunsets. I did a show in Greensboro, NC during the historic UNC vs Duke (which was on TV behind me) to a surprisingly engaged audience.

Absolute March Madness

Had my first ever late night Waffle House experience (thank you, I am assimilating to NC life!) where I got to sit outside and eat my food with my fellow comics. I secretly signed a wall that is about to be torn down, I donated to Ukraine, snuck up to Pittsburgh to see my family and watch the Oscars where “punchline” became the new “slapline.” I have mad respect for Chris Rock and the level of professionalism he displayed in an unfathomable moment. I gave the only standing ovation in the room as “Belfast” won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay and had lunch on the floor of my best friend’s new apartment. All in all, a pretty terrific month.

Comedians next to cars eating waffles

I’ll be back with an April update because it is WILD. Check my Instagram story highlights for #snakegate

Love & Hugs (If you’re into that … if not, Love and Head Nods from Across the Room)

Finally a stage pic where you can see the SHOES. 👠

What a February!

WOW WOW WOW. February is finally behind us! In addition to loads of comedy shows, February was a month full of celebration (Victoria’s birthday aka #febtoria ! Valentine’s Day! My brother’s birthday! My parents came to visit! Victoria’s newest art collection launched!), education (Black History Month!), devastation (I’m actively glued to the news following updates in Ukraine 🇺🇦 — if you haven’t donated, please consider doing so!), and resignation (saying goodbye to our sweet cat, Doug.) Can’t believe February is the shortest month, it has felt so very long this year. I’m thrilled to be finally in March — marching forth, if you will — and trotting towards spring. 🏃‍♀️

In addition to getting to do a ton of brill shows all over North Carolina; I got to perform virtually at Chocolate Sundaes! Chocolate Sundaes is a massive show at the Laugh Factory in Los Angeles! They have a virtual show (essentially an audition — comedians, apply!) and if the audience votes you through, you get a real life Virtual Sundaes performance date at the Laugh Factory in LA! It was such a fun virtual show with loads of terrific comedians. And exciting news: ya girl was voted through and I’ll get to perform at the Laugh Factory on 11/5/2023 at 7 PM. Yep - 2023! 😂 Save the date! Don’t say I didn’t give you plenty of warning. ;)

Thanks to Sammi for coming to support and taking this sick screenshot!

I had the pleasure of hosting at Goodnights Comedy Club in Raleigh for the hilarious Caitlin Peluffo out of NYC. If you’re not checking out shows at Goodnights, change your ways. It’s the best.

Goodnights? More like GREATnights. 🤩

Thanks to Pamela Zabala for the pic!

Raleigh has such a lovely comedy scene! I got to spend some QT with local comics this month on their podcasts! Bop or Flop is an absolute bop of a podcast. The episode is up anywhere you listen to podcasts! I got to choose any date in history to review the Billboard Top 10 and SURPRISE! I didn’t even pick a Hanson week. When you think I’m gonna zig, I zag, baby!

Spoiler: More bops than flops!

What a month! My sweet parents came to visit You can’t spell “sweet” without “wee.” Those Irish darlings! We played loads of poker and board games (what is it, Christmas?!) and explored all that NC has to offer. My dad gave us loads of help with our house, and we couldn’t be more grateful. Thanks, Dad!

Resting our wee legs at the NC Museum of Art #cultured

Inherited my Dad’s strong sock game 💪

Special shout out to Khari Reid for producing so many terrific shows all over the Triangle! (HIP LINGO ALERT: The Triangle is Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill) From Bottle Dogs in Cary to Oden Brewing in Greensboro, to James Joyce in Durham, Khari books loads of terrific shows all over the state. Here’s a pic from Oden Brewing in Greensboro:

“Is that really what my hair looks like from the back?” Hermoine Granger

Get you a girl who lets you put puns on her birthday cake! 😍

Soul sisters. We miss ya, Dougie!

I’ll be at Getaway River Bar in Asheville on 3/4/22 at 8 PM opening for my hilarious friend, Collin Chamberlin! If you’re local, come on out!

Looking forward to loads of comedy in March and maybe even starting an herb garden?! They don’t call me WILDy for nothing. How was your February?! Let me know.

Till next time ❤️

Raleigh!

This summer, after 2 incredible years in Seattle, Washington, I’ll be moving across the country (again) but this time with a southern twist! Raleigh, North Carolina! I’ll miss the majesty the Pacific Northwest has to offer — The mountains! The sea! The whales! Lakes upon lakes upon lakes! You kidding me? I’ll also the many friends I’ve made here in the Seattle comedy scene. What a truly welcoming and hilarious group they are! ❤️

There’s so much to miss here but I know I’ll be back for comedy (and my partner, Victoria, and I will return every spring to see the whales migrating) and I am super excited to be back on the east coast, closer to my family. Parents! Brothers! Sisters-in-law! Nieces and nephews! It’ll be nice to have family close (comparatively). Sometimes it takes moving from Pennsylvania to Washington State and a pandemic to make you think of North Carolina as close to PA. WAIT IS THIS THE THEORY OF RELATIVITY or do I still not get it, Einstein?

But we actually WILL have family close as we are moving along with two of Victoria’s sisters / her employer and coworker! We are so excited to have family in the same city as us as well as the rest of the Chris Loves Julia team! Raleigh has a terrific comedy scene including a few INCREDIBLE comedy clubs (The Raleigh Improv, Goodnight’s Comedy Club, etc.) and I’m so excited to hit the scene and meet lots of new, talented people and to experience that famous Southern Hospitality. Raleigh, we’ll see you soon. Seattle, you’re forever in our hearts.

2 years later, still starstruck by the Space Needle

Laughing All The Way!

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! What better way to celebrate than a comedy show with some of my all time faves? I’ve been in Santa’s Workshop putting together a ho-ho-holiday show with some of my favorite comics. The best part of virtual comedy is there are no borders! We’ll have comics from all over this great land, all hosted by me! Grab your tix and join us on Zoom! Check out the lineup and give them a follow on social media!

@lizglazer

Liz Glazer is a standup comedian, writer, and actor who was previously a tenured law professor, a job she was very funny at. Liz has appeared on OutTV and has opened for comedians such as Myq Kaplan and Maria Bamford. Liz was a part of the Seattle International Comedy Competition and is a part of the Boston Comedy Festival as well as HBO's Women in Comedy Festival in 2021, assuming it happens. During quarantine, Liz has been staying busy reading old journal entries, getting COVID tests, and connecting with audiences (yelling into her laptop) on Zoom.

@maggiemayehaha

Maggie Maye loves candy almost as much as she also loves performing comedy. She made her late night debut on Conan and was featured on Last Call with Carson Daly and AXS TV presents: Gotham Comedy Live. She has also been a featured panelist for Rooster Teeth “What Do You Know?” and has written for the New Yorker. Maggie has performed stand up in festivals such as Just for Laughs, Bridgetown Comedy Festival, San Francisco Sketchfest (as one of the Sketchfest Dozen), FunFunFun Fest, Moontower Comedy & Oddity Festival, SXSW, and the All Jane Comedy Festival. She’s opened for Hannibal Burress, Paul Rodriguez, Gladys Knight, and Earth, Wind and Fire. She’s had her name in comedy articles in the Huffington Post, Variety, LaughSpin, the New York Times, Splitsider, who named her among the 2015 top up-and-coming comics and an “On the Verge” comedian, the Austin American Statesman, who named her as one of 2015’s People to Watch, and the Austin Chronicle, who named her 2016’s Best of Austin Stand up Comic. She performed improv comedy with her troupe Damn, Gina! and in various sketch and improv shows around Austin before moving to Los Angeles. Her comedy is described in the same way she is: sassy, charming, and smart. Also, a 6-year-old once told her she was the funniest person ever. And kids rarely lie.

@ashgutermuth

Ashley Gutermuth is a New Jersey-based stand-up comedian. In November 2020, she appeared on ‘The Tonight Show’ with Jimmy Fallon where she was chosen by Jerry Seinfeld to win the ‘Seinfeld Challenge.’ Her high-energy, positive style of comedy is irresistible. Ashley’s comedy is focused on her unusual relationships and observations about life. In June 2020, Ashley won Blue City Comedy’s Comic of the Month competition, based in Boise, Idaho.

When Ashley is not performing stand-up or voice-overs, she is usually running and has a daily running streak that spans over five years. For running tips and comedy videos follow @Ashgutermuth on Instagram or visit AshleyGutermuth.com.

@collin_comedy

Collin Chamberlin is a New York based comedian who’s been entertaining audiences for years. His quick wit and family stories about growing up in Pittsburgh will make anyone laugh. His conversational delivery and timing make you feel like you’re talking to a friend. Collin tours nationally for the Funny Bones, Improvs, and Heliums. He’s had the privilege to perform in some of the most iconic venues in the country, including The Comedy and Magic Club. He’s also written for Sirius XM. He’ll talk about his obsession with fast food or rooming with his grandfather anywhere, as long as there’s gas money and a microphone. Just ask him about the high school prom he ruined. Collin is host of the popular podcast, Hell Gigs. He’s shared the stage with some of the best comedians working, including Pete Lee, Mark Normand, Adam Ferrara, and SNL’s Kenan Thompson. Collin even had an onstage role with Steve Martin and Martin Short!

@mrdtimes3

Joe Dombrowski (aka Mr.D) took the world by storm in 2017 with a viral April Fools’ Day spelling test prank that landed him multiple appearances on the Ellen DeGeneres show. Since then Joe has been traveling the world with his stand-up comedy tour titled “Indoor Recess” which highlights his crazy life as an elementary school teacher. When he’s not getting creative on screens and stages, Joe spends his time in Seattle, Washington producing his podcast “Social Studies” where he humorously studies being social by being social with guests of all walks of life. See more of Joe on any form of social media using the handle @mrdtimes3 or catch him live at one of his shows!

Stand-Up Stay Home!

The world’s best artist, Victoria Bradley, made us this incredible logo! Thanks, Victoria! :)

Helloooo from day 79 of quarantine! I’ve been sheltered-in-place since March 10th here in Seattle, doing my part to help flatten the curve. There have been many challenges during this time but I’ve felt so thankful to be in a position to stay home. I also feel grateful that THAT what was asked of me. Stay home? Sure. I can do that. And while the limits of my self-described “homebody” lifestyle have been truly tested, I’m happy to do my part. I’m Rachel during the Gellar Cup: Just at the other end of the field, serving the team by staying out of the way. Sometimes that’s how you can best help your F-R-I-E-N-D-S. Finding out your work is “non-essential” presents its own sorts of challenges. Living in a world without connection and gatherings has been a reminder of just how much we humans NEED to connect and gather. To quote the Counting Crows quoting Joni Mitchell: “Don’t it always seem to go that you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone?” (Your girl’s on a massive Joni Mitchell kick lately. Forgive me. Have you heard Brandi Carlile’s cover of “A Case of You?” If not, go watch that now. I’ll wait.) 

Comedy venues were among the first to close down here in Seattle and it has been crazy town to not see all of my comedy pals multiple nights a week at mics or shows. While I was missing doing comedy, my best friend, Sammi, was really missing watching comedy. So we decided to start co-producing a show during quarantine to help bridge the gap between comics who missed performing and audiences who missed laughing and seeing live comedy. Every Wednesday for 6 weeks, we had a Zoom comedy show called Stand-Up Stay Home, featuring some of our favourite comedians from all over the country and the world. Always ones to look on the bright side, we realized that the massive perk of a comedy show online was the ability to bring people together to share the “stage” who wouldn’t normally have the opportunity. We had comics from Detroit, Orland, Los Angeles, NYC, Pittsburgh, Seattle, Washington DC, and even Australia. Our comics had an insane range of credits, from opening for every big name in comedy to appearances on James Corden, Stephenn Colbert, and Conan O’Brien, to albums and specials. We were so proud of the group of comics who performed on our show. And we were especially proud to be the ones bringing such quality comedy to homes all over the world, every Wednesday at 8 PM Eastern, 5 PM Pacific. Sammi did all of the technical Zoom work and I hosted each week for 40 minutes of glorious comedy. There are few things we love more than a show that starts on time! (Sammi genuinely has to make an effort to be a bit late for a party so the hosts aren’t annoyed.) Also, knowing we were up against literally everything ever made AND every book waiting to be read on the bookshelves of our audeinces’ homes, we really made every effort to respect the time of the comedians and the viewers. Four years into my comedy career, this was my first time producing a comedy show! What a gift to get to be on the other side of things. I have even more appreciation for producers than ever before. BOY did I learn a lot. Each week, the production value of the show increased 10 fold. By week 4, we were sitting pretty before the show in a virtual green room with all of our comics. One of the best parts of comedy is getting to be around other comics and I’ve been missing that (and really every) aspect of comedy so much during this tme. Our show was able to bring together many of my fave comics — and introduce me to new faves — or camaraderie and laughter.

One of the shows happened to fall on April 29th, my birthday! We had such a fun birthday line up with some of my pals and I was very sweetly surprised by a pre-recorded roast at the end from my comedy pals in Pittsburgh and Seattle and my 3 big brothers! It was so funny and so lovely.

Now that the weather is nice and things are opening up (Woo! Phase 2!), we’re taking a wee break. We may be back in the future with more shows, but I think we could all use a wee rest Zoom. We were so touched each week by the number of comedy fans who tuned in each week and to the INSANE lineup of comics we had. We couldn’t believe the caliber of talent NOR the generosity of the audience. Thank you all so much for going on this incredible journey with us. We’ll see you soon! See the comics’ full bios at www.standupstayhome.com

Week 1: Helen Wildy (Seattle), Birungi Birungi (Seattle), Collin Chamberlin (NYC), Caitlin Peluffo (NYC)

Week 2: Steve Rogers (NYC), Wendy Wroblewski (DC), Jaques Barrett (Australia), Aaron Kleiber (Pittsburgh)

Week 3: Stephanie Nam (Seattle), Ray Zawodni (NYC), Liz Glazer (LA), Ashley Gutermuth (Seattle)

Week 4: Dwayne Duke (Cleveland), Mary Santora (Cleveland), Chris Alan (NYC) Joe Dombrowski (Seattle)

Week 5: Devin Siebold (Orlando), Dana Goldberg (LA), Tam White (Detroit), Richard Bowen (Seattle), Katie Barbaro (NYC)

Week 6: Dan Wickes (NYC), Liz Miele (NYC), Andrew Orolfo (LA), Ben Katzner (NYC), Rachel Green (NYC)

2019: So YESTERDAY

Happy New Year! I’m in Idaho at Victoria’s parents’ house, watching the blizzard outside, reflecting on this time last year. We were visiting for Christmas and had to rush home for my two New Year’s Eve shows as part of Pittsburgh’s First Night! Our flight was delayed just long enough for us to miss our connection and we were stuck in the Salt Lake airport for the night. We made it back just in time to get to the venue. Lots of friends (and strangers!) came to the shows: “The Complete New Year’s Eve Experience in 30 Minutes with Comedian Helen Wildy!” It was a ton of fun and the perfect way to start a new year: Doing the thing I love most with tons of my favorite people in the crowd. And rushing. The fun is in the rushing.

I can’t believe that was a year ago. What a year it’s been! Let’s talk HIGHLIGHTS! There have been so many personal highlights this year, including moving to Seattle and being welcomed so warmly by its brilliant comedy scene. Read on — or just look at the pictures. I’m not here to tell you how to consume blogs.

Comedy Highlights Include:

NEW YEAR’S EASE

Made it back to Pittsburgh in time for two shows at CAPA. Big thanks to the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust for having me!

Playing it cool

In January, I got to feature for Aaron Kleiber in the gorgeous Oaks Theater in Oakmont.

Pittsburgh: Home Sweet Home

This year started with a January Residency at Burning Bridges Comedy Club.

A Wildy is always festive

I performed a musical set with my dad as “The Wildy Rovers” for Saint Patrick’s Day at Arcade Comedy Theater (If you wanna watch!)

Zawodni ZaSQUADni

In April, I did a guest set at the Pittsburgh Improv for headliner Ray Zawodni! (Thanks, Ray!)

Must Love Laughter

My partner, Victoria, endured a lot of two-drink minimums for the sake of good comedy.

Trying to be charming in Charm City

I was thrilled to be asked to headline Charm City Comedy Fest in Baltimore in May.

Detroit Women in Comedy Festival (Do I wear this jacket a lot?)

I performed two nights in Detroit — and took a workshop from the incomparable Stacey Smith.

Big Fannypack Energy

My fannypack and I got to headline at Arcade Comedy Theater in June!

Biggest take away in 2019: Don’t wear a jacket that looks like a brick wall

I featured for Aaron Kleiber at the Pittsburgh Improv in July.

5 Funniest!

I was selected by Pittsburgh Magazine as one of the “5 Funniest People in Pittsburgh (You Haven’t Heard Of)” Click here!

Best of the Burgh

I was nominated by Pittsburgh Magazine as “Pittsburgh’s Best Comedian” in 2019.

Midwest Queer Comedy Fest

Three nights in Louisville! (time to retire this jacket?)

Opening for Tamer Kattan in Seattle

I performed at Central Cinema (a super cool old movie theater!) to a massive crowd to open for Tamer Kattan in November.

About to get kinky at Safeword in Seattle

Safeword at Kremwork: A Kink Stand-Up Show where I was made to explore “temperature” — while making people laugh.

Pittsburgh: Is comedy in Seattle any different?

Me: …..

I was masked, and the host put ice cubes on my neck and a jalapeño shot in my mouth. …Comedy!

Honourable Mentions:

• A guest set for headliner Cameron Esposito at Helium Comedy Club in Buffalo, New York in January.

• I was a guest on Pittsburgh’s beloved “Ya Jaggoff!” podcast with Victoria.

• I was happily billed among friends on Queer-focused comedy shows at Unplanned Comedy and Arcade Comedy Theater.

• I advanced to the finals of the Pittsburgh Improv’s “King of the Spring Contest” in April (but was in Guatemala for the finals!).

• I was the Monologist at Arcade Comedy Theater’s “Hootenanny” and saw my stories turned into incredible improv scenes.

• I was part of Zach Funk’s album recording and Tim Ross’s album release show.

• I performed on the Not-So-Secret-House Show with the fabulous Samantha Ruddy in February, fresh off her Colbert set.

• I hosted at the Pittsburgh Improv for headliner Erik Griffin in April.

• I performed at “Pittsburgh’s Most Wanted” Showcase in June at The Pittsburgh Improv.

• I tested my crowd work chops at “Hurry Up; Say Something Funny,” a crowd-work-only show.

• I hosted “Sunday Sauce” at Pleasurebar every week in July.

• I was invited to the coveted Underground Comedy Club’s Callbacks show — three times.

• I hosted the Tuesday mic at Jai Thai in Seattle in October.

• I hosted “Laughsgiving” at Club Comedy Seattle in November.

• I featured at The Nest Comedy in Seattle’s Rendezvous.

• I partook in the hilarious and delightful “Gateway Show” at Club Comedy Seattle.

• I went home for the holidays and performed at Arcade Comedy Theater and Burning Bridges Comedy Club with some local and out-of-town faves!

BESTIE ON AND OFF STAGE

I got to share the stage and green room with my bestie, Sammi Travis, on The Early Evening Show at Arcade Comedy Theater as she was interviewed about her world travels (check her blog out!) before my stand up set. This is us on our last day as Pittsburgh roommates #dreamflat

Sammi encouraged me to do stand up and has been to almost as many of my shows as I have. She even came to meet me in Louisville for the Midwest Queer Comedy Fest to take in some more shows and explore a new state together. #bff

#TBT: Best of the Burgh!

Happy #TBT, y’all! Now that I live in Seattle — did you know I moved to Seattle? I finally get the Seattle references on Grey’s Anatomy, which has been a beautiful life change — I’ve been thinking a lot about Pittsburgh, particularly my last few weeks there. This year, I was lucky enough to be nominated for Best Comedian in Pittsburgh Magazine’s 2019 Best of the Burgh! Thank you SO much to everyone who nominated and voted for me! I was so excited to be included. The incredible Bill Crawford won — he’s a comedian and a radio personality and he’s great, you should check out his comedy and his radio show! In addition to the nomination, I was featured in an article called “The 5 Funniest People in Pittsburgh (You Haven’t Heard Of)” Check out the article!

It was such an honor to be included in this list of hilarious people I know and respect from the Pittsburgh comedy scene. Big thanks to Sean Collier for the nod!

Little did I know, this article made me OFFICIALLY invited to the Best of the Burgh party in late July! It was so exciting. (Thanks to Sarah for the party reminder!) One of my best mates, Katie Barbaro, was in Pittsburgh visiting and staying with me at the time and I was super excited she wanted to be my plus 1 to the party. Katie is a brilliant comedian (and person) who started in LA and moved to NYC to pursue her comedy dreams. Then she gave up everything she owned to travel the world for a year. She’s the coolest. (As I write this, she’s here with me in Seattle! Is this excitement what Sleepless in Seattle is about?!)

Katie and I were ready to boogie down and celebrate! It was held at the Rivers Casino on Pittsburgh’s North Shore and it was Swanky with a capital S, but not the kind of party with dancing. So we boogied down the best way we knew how: by enjoying all of the free samples and mingling with funny people. We made our way to the second floor (after noting all of the Game of Thrones casino games which should have had punnier names, i.e. Castle Blackjack, Jo Sno Po(ker), a bad pun is better than no pun at all!) and were given commemorative shirts and SO many free things! I’m talking food, beverages, and all kinds of swag! We found Sarah, Emily, Jesse, and Beth immediately and had fun sampling Colombe Draft Lattes with their sample team. (Coffee at night? More like WILDEST OF THE BURGH.) And our caffeinated group really enjoyed the heck out of the photo booth and all of its props.

We saw a bunch of pals from Arcade Comedy Theater and a few from The Pittsburgh Improv. It was a hoot. Here are some adorable photos from an overall adorable night.

“And a ‘Breakfast Club’ one. Just me? You guys weren’t smiling, right?”

3 of the 5! Have you heard of us now?

In between Hank’s Frozen Custard and Hello Bistro AKA right where I belong.

Katie Barbaro: Sisterhood of the Traveling Romper.

Aaaaand one for my wee mum (where I accidentally point at Hello Bistro).

Screenshot or it didn’t happen.

I sent Sarah a screenshot of her interview and my photo from that same interview and we had a good laugh.

Repping that Pittsburgh swag in Seattle.

#TBT Cameron Esposito: Person of Consequence

Happy October 3rd, y’all! Not only is it my nephew’s birthday (HBD, buddy!!) and Mean Girls’ Day, it’s also what my friends and family lovingly refer to as my Camiversary.

Last year on this date, I had the great honour of opening for Cameron Esposito at the Rex Theater in Pittsburgh, PA. Cameron is not just an incredible comic, writer, and queer icon; she is also one of the kindest people I have ever met. She used her last special, “Rape Jokes,” to raise over $75 k for RAINN — the United States’ largest anti-sexual violence organization. In addition to hosting her podcast “Queery” and writing poignant, insightful articles for the New York Times, she has also guest starred on “Brooklyn 99,” written and co-starred in her own television show “Take My Wife,” and written a book that comes out in March 2020 called “Save Yourself” (which is available for pre-order here (If you’re not hyperlink savvy, I’ve spelled it out for you: https://www.grandcentralpublishing.com/titles/cameron-esposito/save-yourself/9781455591435/)

In a nutshell, she is busy killing the game. On her “Person of Consequence” Tour last year, she did the world yet another kindness by hand-picking local comics to feature for her in each city. Get you a real life comic hero who gives back more than Bruce Wayne. I could not believe my own life when I got the email that I had been selected to open for her. I waited a few weeks to make sure they didn’t recall it and send a “This has been a hilarious mix up” email, and then promptly told everyone I’ve ever met. Because Cameron Esposito is one of the best comics out there, so many of my Pittsburgh pals already had their tickets to see her and the show sold out the very lovely Rex Theater in Pittsburgh’s South Side.

I was nervously waiting in the green room when Cameron arrived. She was instantly warm and friendly. She astutely noticed that Pittsburgh is perhaps a hidden but ridiculously beautiful gem. It really is. (www.visitpittsburgh.com) Cameron brought me up to the stage with a Voice-of-God mic and I got to do 20 minutes of material before bringing her up (honoured!) and running to the back of the venue to watch her masterfully work out an hour. During the show, a member of the audience had a medical emergency and Cameron stopped everything to make sure that person got the medical attention they needed. Like a pilot deftly making an unexpected yet smooth landing, she made sure the rest of the audience remained seated, respectful, and quiet while a doctor and a nurse in the audience did their thing. Once she was sure everything was okay, she maintained the respectful silence of what just happened before expertly getting the audience back to a place of laughter. It was such a learning experience.

After the show, she went to the lobby and took countless photos with the audience. Later, from the green room, she texted me to come up and say goodbye (NBD! — just kidding, I died) and asked me if I was free to feature for her again the following night at The Comedy Zone in Harrisburg, PA. Yet again, dead again. It was my first ever road show! Eek! I was buzzing with excitement the whole drive to Harrisburg. At the hotel, Cameron asked me if I wanted to ride over to the venue with her because she’s straight up the sweetest. Being an earth-loving, Cameron Esposito fan, that was one carpool I could not resist. We had hilarious adventures at The Comedy Zone and, once again, I learned so much from Cameron. When they asked her who was in charge, she confidently said “I am.” #whoruntheworldgirls

She was gracious, kind, and professional when speaking with the staff while making sure we got everything we needed. She refused to let me go on stage with a wireless mic (thanks again!) and once again watched me do my set. As someone who had been doing comedy for 2+ years at the time, there was no greater education than seeing a professional, nationally touring comedian work out an hour for two nights in a row. The whole experience was like being an in episode of Oprah’s Masterclass. Once again, she stayed to meet every fan and take countless pictures. She’s a proper legend. After her legions of adoring fans had left, we went out for a bite and she gave me tons of incredibly priceless stand up advice and told me not to be afraid to be in touch. The next morning, I woke to a frenzy of texted screenshots on my phone, as the one and only Cameron Esposito had tweeted an adorable picture of us with a very kind caption. Such a generous and sweet thing to do. I’m telling you, she’s the best. Don’t forget to pre-order her book.

Say Yesposito to the Esposito.

Shout out to the hilarious and lovely photographer!

Arcade Hootenanny!

I had the great honour of being the Monologist at Arcade Comedy Theater’s April Hootenanny! Each month, one person is chosen (this time it was me!) to tell stories about their life (based on audience suggestions) and then some of the best improvisers in Pittsburgh do scenes based on those stories. After a few scenes, the monologist hops back up to tell more stories and the magic continues.

I had so much fun telling stories I had never told publicly that have never made it in to my stand up. Arcade Comedy Theater is where I started taking improv classes in May of 2016. I was on house improv teams at the Arcade for 2 years before I left to focus more on stand up. It was such a special gift to be asked by the Arcade to be the monologist. I’ve watched this show a million times and was so thrilled to get to tell some stories and share the stage with some of my faves. Thanks for having me, Arcade!

If you’re interested, you can watch the entire show right here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IARvSh62RI&feature=youtu.be

Always point up so people don’t wonder if your shoes match your outfit. #lifehack

Blog to the Future

Welcome to my very first blog! I’m calling this post “Blog to the Future” because I’ve been meaning to post about these INCREDIBLE stickers of mine for a while! I had them made by the lovely and talented Anna C. Reilly. It was such a dream to work with Anna! I am in no way a visual artist and she was able to hear my vision and make it a reality! She really captured my essence! You can check out her artwork at annacreilly.com or on Instagram! Thanks again, Anna!