From Military to Microphone: Kells Morton Comedic Journey

Comedian Kells Morton steps away from her 25-year military career to pursue her original dream of entertainment in this fascinating conversation about second acts and finding your voice. As she prepares for retirement, Kells reveals how she's transforming decades of leadership experience into comedy gold on stages across the country.

With refreshing candor, Kells shares the surprising truth about her battle with severe performance anxiety before shows. "I was at Marietta Martin Center for Performing Arts in Raleigh... 600 plus people, and I was dying inside. I didn't eat a morsel that day," she confesses. This vulnerability behind the confident persona adds depth to understanding her journey from military officer to rising comedian.

The episode explores Kells' comedy inspirations, from Richard Pryor and Red Foxx to Dave Chappelle (whom she flew to Charlotte just to see perform). Her appreciation for female trailblazers like Wanda Sykes and Luenell reflects her understanding of comedy history and those who've paved the way. Kells also discusses her approach to handling hecklers, the therapeutic value of comedy in society, and how she used humor as a leadership tool during military deployments.

Beyond stand-up, Kells is expanding into acting with roles in short films and the upcoming feature "Deadly Obsession 2." Her ambitious goals include performing at legendary venues like Laugh Factory LA and Second City Chicago, driven by her philosophy of competing only against yesterday's version of herself. Through family stories, military experiences, and a refreshingly positive outlook on the changing comedy landscape, Kells demonstrates why she's quickly gaining attention on the comedy circuit.

Transcript

Speaker 1 0:07

Welcome everyone to Listen Up Podcast. I'm Al Neely and today we have a local comedian, kels Mort. Yes, kels is fantastic. I've seen her in person a few weeks ago, absolutely amazed. You can find her some of her shorts and reels on IG. Yes, you'll find her to be extremely funny. So welcome to the show. Thank you for coming in.

Speaker 2 0:42

Thank you Al.

Speaker 1 0:43

Absolutely. It's a pleasure Question for you All, right? What made you decide to do stand-up comedy? Right, because most of your life you've been in the military. Well, most of your career has been military, right? Yes, how long were you in the military?

Speaker 2 1:02

Been in the military. This is year 25.

Speaker 1 1:04

Cute Oof.

Speaker 2 1:06

Yes, wow, this is year 25. And my son is in college, so he's out of the house and I want.

Speaker 1 1:15

Is that a good thing? That's a good thing, right.

Speaker 2 1:17

Oh child, Now he was a good, good kid. But you know, we just kind of like do our job and do our duty, but they need to go pay society back, Right? So he's out of his house Right Adulting.

Speaker 1 1:36

Right.

Speaker 2 1:37

Out of my pocket.

Speaker 1 1:38

Right and hopefully he'll get a good job, so he'll stay out of the house.

From Military Career to Comedy Dreams

Speaker 2 1:43

Yes, take care of me when I'm old. So I decided that I want to do comedy because I was wanting to get into entertainment before I joined the military. But my parents, my dad, was like you can be broke or you can go in the military and then maybe in four years you can just go do what you want. So four years turn into 25. Wow. So I'm kind of at a point where I just I know I'm on the downslope of retirement, so I'll be retiring at the end of next year.

Speaker 1 2:18

Oh, that's very good.

Speaker 2 2:19

I can be a comedian instead of a broke comedian, that's true. So now I'm at a point where I just kind of want to just do my own thing and my son's grown and don't have much responsibility. I have my son, my stepson, he's my bonus baby, he's five, but we kind of share responsibility with his mom, so I can just kind of like do what I want. My husband's supportive my husband is also. He has his dream job on the side because he's military, but he's on the down slope.

Speaker 1 2:53

Yeah.

Speaker 2 2:53

And he's an NCAA ref, so he's division three. Oh, that is awesome. So he does that. His league is out of Pennsylvania, so he does the schools out there and basketball football. Oh yes, sir.

Speaker 1 3:07

That's awesome.

Speaker 2 3:08

So we're we're kind of molding those careers after we retire.

Speaker 1 3:14

That's awesome, so your inspiration.

Speaker 2 3:19

My inspiration yeah, that's a hard question, that's a hard question. So, yes, because there are so many good comedians out here. Inspiration yeah, that's a hard question, that's a hard question. Really yes, because there's so many good comedians out here. There's good comedians that are no longer with us, and those are the. To me, those are the best ones.

Speaker 1 3:35

Really yes.

Speaker 2 3:37

Like the Red Foxes.

Speaker 1 3:39

Oh my goodness, yeah, he's absolutely His early stuff. Hilarious. You get one of those albums is a little scratchy in the back and you hear him. Yeah, who else do you like?

Speaker 2 3:51

Richard Pryor. Yes, I grew up, I got, I got in trouble for listening to Richard Pryor. Richard Pryor is the staple of you know shit, damn hell, fuck, motherfucker. But I learned my best cursing from Richard Pryor.

Speaker 1 4:09

Right.

Speaker 2 4:10

But and then some of the comedic inspirations, the females that are really doing you know that have longevity, you know you got the. You know the Wanda Sykes and the Samores and even the Miss Patts, like they're all doing this 30 years later and I can just only like commend them for for what they're doing.

Speaker 1 4:31

Yeah, yeah, yeah so.

Speaker 2 4:36

And Lunel. I can't forget Lunel.

Speaker 1 4:38

Lunel.

Speaker 2 4:39

Yes, she is awesome, but there's there's younger of females in the game and younger males in the game that are still considered young, but they've been doing it 15 years. Like my favorite, she was on tour with Cat Williams previously and her name is Ashima Franklin. She did a Netflix special already and she she tours all around the world and, yeah, she's like one of my faves Just Niche Kelly Kells. They have all these females out here and then there's some guys that are just killing it, killing it. I got a friend that's local, you know, baker. He tours with Coco Brown.

Speaker 1 5:20

OK.

Speaker 2 5:21

He's phenomenal, like there's like some guys that are just killing it. So there's no limits, there's no ceilings in where you can go in comedy and I hope that crosses over to entertainment as acting and in other opportunities for you.

Comedy Inspiration and Influences

Speaker 1 5:37

Yes, oh yeah, for as long as you've been doing it. You're really talented. Thank you, and funny. Tell me about when you're getting up there and you first started. Tell me about the nerves. Did you have any nerves, or do you still have nerves, and how do you deal with those? How do you make those nerves and how do you deal with those? How do you, how do you make those adjustments?

Speaker 2 6:11

Rosé. Okay, so I have horrible anxiety, like clinical, no Medication, seriously. And the thing is it's multiple things, because you know your military, my military career, has triggered some of the anxiety. Things Like I don't like being next to vans because of explosions, you know stuff like that. Or you know, I don't like planes, I don't like flying and I don't like big crowds. I hate big crowds. I like flying and I like big crowds. I hate big crowds. So it takes a lot for me to get on stage to perform because something in me thinks like something's going to happen and it's nothing, because the crowd is either they're going to like you or they're not. So we're our hardest critics. So, before I go on stage, depending on the platform, I've been at theaters. I go on stage depending on the platform. I've been at theaters. I've been at regular comedy clubs and I've been in small crowds and I'm more nervous the bigger the platform.

Speaker 1 7:11

Really.

Speaker 2 7:12

Oh, like I couldn't even eat. I opened for Danae Hayes in April and she has three million followers on TikTok. I had no idea who she was, but she was amazing and her and her staff was. They were so gracious and kind and just nice enough to take me with them to Raleigh and I had an amazing time and amazing experience. But in a theater. I was at Marietta Martin Marietta Center for Performing Arts in Raleigh and I did the Addicts Theater in Norfolk yeah, 600 plus people, and I was dying inside. I didn't eat a morsel that day. So it's very. Some people just can get on stage and once they tell that joke, it's it's you get the first laugh and that and that's it.

Speaker 2 8:00

And I'm fine, yeah, but up until that point I'm dying. It's the adrenaline I would never known, you know. So even when, when I was at Chicho's, I was like pretty much dying, but I did. I think I had like a shot of vodka beforehand, really Typically not what I do before shows Sometimes if it's really really bad, but I try not to so I don't forget anything.

Speaker 1 8:26

Yeah, so one of the things I remember about that show was somebody was trying to heckle, heckle yes, yeah so I never understood that. So you're in the audience and you're going to try to heckle a professional comedian To destroy you, Right that? Has a microphone, has been joking and telling jokes since they were in kindergarten probably A lot of practice.

Speaker 2 8:57

A lot of practice. Chicago, you got to have some tough skin too. Yeah, roasting, they will roast you in.

Speaker 1 9:04

Chicago. Yeah, something like that usually happen every show, or no?

Speaker 2 9:10

um, that was a, that was a one-off because, like with that lady, she, I didn't even get a joke out, she just started. Oh, tell us what I'm like. Wait, hold on, let me tell the joke first. You know I could have been like you could let me, you know, tell the joke first. You know I could have been like you could let me, you know, tell the joke, or you could shut the fuck up. But I couldn't do that because I was trying to like people would try to fight you, they will try to fight you. So I was trying to stay professional, professional, but most, like the other comedians, they will cut cussing them out, you know yeah.

Speaker 1 9:45

Excuse my. French comedians, they would cut, cussing them out, you know?

Speaker 2 9:46

yeah, excuse my french, I'm sorry oh no, that's that's, that's, that's just bad english, but that's good.

Speaker 1 9:51

It's good we understand.

Stage Anxiety and Performance Challenges

Speaker 2 9:52

But yes, yeah, hecklers come and go, but most of the time I try to spare them, but, as I notice, if it's really bad, then you kind of got to react, you, you got to address it.

Speaker 1 10:04

Yeah, so, yeah. So today I know you were talking about some of the people that you follow who do you right now thinks is? I would say Kevin Hart is probably at the pinnacle David Chappelle.

Speaker 2 10:22

Oh, yes, but who Chappelle, chappelle, chappelle, chappelle. Oh yes, oh, but who Chappelle, chappelle, chappelle, chappelle Ali Sadiq.

Speaker 1 10:30

Yes.

Speaker 2 10:31

Master storytellers.

Speaker 1 10:32

Yes.

Speaker 2 10:33

They are divine on stage Right Like. I just hope to be that good one day. You know what I'm saying.

Speaker 1 10:40

Yeah.

Speaker 2 10:41

I know that that takes time. But yes, love, I know that that takes time. So, but yes, love, I flew to Charlotte to see Chappelle that because he didn't have anything in this area. I was like I have to see him, yeah, so definitely.

Speaker 1 11:00

I think comedy is needed in the society that we live in. What do you feel comedy and comedians bring to society?

Speaker 2 11:15

I think that there are some comedians that are very outspoken with like political views, like the DL Hughleys, and I can only respect that Very aware of you know issues and you know in our community, so, like the Ricky Smileyys, and I love it, I love the fact that that, that that's what they bring to the table. Besides the comedic therapy, they also bring, yeah, the, the awareness, right um, and then the other comedians that are not so vocal. We need, we need them too, right um on you're talking about in terms of activism, correct?

Speaker 1 12:02

okay, right correct. So um, and not everybody's gonna have that right no, but I think we all need to laugh right, correct, right. And I think when you talk to some people, they think that you can make a statement with comedy and it's more readily accepted, um, like bill burr, for example right, oh, I love him yeah love him and um, whereas you just can't stand up there and do that if you're a politician or someone else, or and you still catch flack as a comedian.

Speaker 2 12:41

But you do, but you got to say what everybody's thinking. That's why we're here, Right, you know it's funny because it's true In more than one person's point of view. If you can walk into and Kevin Hart is great at this person's point of view If you can walk into and Kevin Hart is great at this, that's why his audience is so big he can walk into a room and make everyone laugh from every walk of life.

Speaker 1 13:06

The Joe Coy's hilarious oh, joe's terribly funny yeah.

Speaker 2 13:12

Because they're able to bring that perspective to any color, any race, and that is talent. We need them Right.

Speaker 1 13:24

So so you were in the military, Were you in, were you in combat zones? I'm still in the military.

Speaker 2 13:34

Almost almost done.

Speaker 1 13:35

Were you in combat zones when you, while you were in the military?

Speaker 2 13:38

I have been in combat zones, I have been deployed, I've been boots on ground, I've been on deployments with ships, I've been the communications officer on a carrier. I've done it all for the last 25 years. I have scrubbed toilets, I have, you know, done the menial jobs and I've done done the leadership jobs, and all of them make a difference in what we do.

Speaker 1 14:04

Do you make them laugh?

Speaker 2 14:05

while you're up there. Oh, I did, you know, I need a promotion. If you got like a lot of young guys, that is the way to get them to do things If they are having a good time. That is the persuasive rule to get somebody to work and not ask questions.

Speaker 1 14:25

They say laughter is good for many things. They say that's how you can get a girl. If you're funny, you don't have to be good looking, you just need to be funny.

Speaker 2 14:33

I mean I can get a lot of high.

Speaker 1 14:37

You did, I did, I laughed his drawers off you know, I mean, I can get a lot of you did, I did.

Speaker 2 14:41

I laughed his drawers off. You know my husband will tell you. But you know I try to. You know I just like to have a good time, but a lot of comedians are introverts too. So when I get to the house it's like I'm powering. I'm powering down like windows, like you know, like yeah, but yeah I, it really is effective if you need people to do things at work, because you know you're deployed, you're out there, you're by yourself, they don't have family there. But if I roast them and be like oh, did you put lotion on today? What is coming? Come here, come here, come here, come here, young grasshopper, what did I tell you? Didn't I tell you to go get a little asshole and then give them the mama? But they loved I, had no problems.

Speaker 1 15:30

Right no problems.

Speaker 2 15:33

I didn't have any One sailor got in trouble for DUI. None of them got in trouble for anything else, and I was there for two years. No, no problems.

Speaker 1 15:43

That was because you were telling jokes the whole time.

Speaker 2 15:45

No, I always told them to stay out the hospital and jail every weekend.

Speaker 1 15:49

Yeah, I've heard those stories Every weekend, that's, you know, commanding officer's announcement on Fridays.

Speaker 2 15:59

Yeah, Stay out of the hospital and stay out of jail. That's all I ask.

Comedy's Role in Society

Speaker 1 16:02

Wow, interesting. So just one son is in college and then one with Bonus baby Bonus baby Five years.

Speaker 2 16:13

He just actually he had his kindergarten graduation today. I went earlier.

Speaker 1 16:19

Oh, really Okay.

Speaker 2 16:21

Yeah, that's my creedy poo, his name's Creed. I love him. He's a great kid, he's so full of energy and that's my comedic therapy, because some of the stuff that you know kids.

Speaker 1 16:31

Yeah, that's the money when you get your material from.

Speaker 2 16:33

Honest. So, and then you know, the best material is family life my mother, the kids, you know, dealing with everything around you is that's what is relatable to everybody? Yeah, no, it's happened. That situation happened somewhere else, right? So?

Speaker 1 16:56

so they don't get upset with you when you Tell them jokes. Yeah.

Speaker 2 17:00

He's just going to have to accept it. You married into this.

Speaker 1 17:05

That's right. When the checks start rolling in, it's like keep joking me.

Speaker 2 17:09

I'm going to retire him. I'm going to retire him. It's going to happen, wow, but yeah, it's easy material.

Speaker 1 17:20

That's what I heard. So you have a show coming up. You said Mm, hmm. And what would you have on the horizon for this area?

Speaker 2 17:34

That's a. The one on the 11th is at the FFX Theater. It's at the oceanfront. That's a clean one. On the 11th is at the FFX Theater. It's at the Ocean Front, that's a clean show. On the 11th midweek comedy relief. And then I have a couple of private events this month and hopefully I get some more bookings. Funny Bone call me Great relationship with the folks over at Funny Bone, so you know I'll get booked for gigs and I'm super grateful for the opportunities, yeah, that they give.

Speaker 1 18:05

So yeah, last time I was there, we saw Aries Spears.

Speaker 2 18:13

Oh, he's hilarious.

Speaker 1 18:15

And he just half of his show is messing with everybody in the audience so you're sitting up front, you just know you're getting it.

Speaker 2 18:25

You picked that spot, you're getting it. He's funny though he's like it's just such a long list of goats that have been in the business for 30 years plus and they're still on stage and they're still funny, you know.

Speaker 1 18:44

Yeah, I, um. I was on the elevator one night with um Tracy Morgan and he was performing at Funny Bones and it was hilarious that he got off the elevator and Tracy Morgan, his comedy is goofy, but he is goofy too, he gets off, goes oh, and he goes around the wrong floor and walks back and says, what's up, man, it's like how you doing wrong floor, and walks back and say, what's up, man, it's like how you doing.

Speaker 1 19:18

Yeah, you know, when you're famous, I don't like to draw too much attention to you because you know, people are people. You don't know what kind of day they had and some people are just super nice and they'll do a lot of things.

Speaker 2 19:34

But you know, I try to keep it low key, right, yeah. So I'm sure he appreciates that too, because they want to be normal, you know, because when you, when you become famous like that, you kind of give up the the your part, part of your privacy, yes, yeah.

Speaker 1 19:48

And then you know, with the onset of social media you have access to them.

Speaker 2 19:55

Everyone.

Speaker 1 19:56

Right, so have access to them. Everyone. Right, so you can. You know, you can slip in their dms or you can message them on ig. Yeah, so it becomes an issue.

Speaker 2 20:06

If um somebody's out to, they come after you did you see the snl episode recently with eddie imitating Tracy Morgan?

Speaker 1 20:19

That was hilarious.

Speaker 2 20:21

That was my favorite Right Nobody Classic.

Speaker 1 20:25

Yeah, Everybody. They can't, they couldn't keep it straight.

Speaker 2 20:29

I couldn't keep it straight, Like I don't know how they kept it together that long.

Speaker 1 20:34

Tracy was like I don't you know. He did a really good job. Everybody else was just.

Speaker 2 20:40

That was hilarious Absolute classic. I loved it.

Speaker 1 20:44

I loved that episode. That was fantastic. So Saturday Night Live Once you start watching Saturday Night Live, I got to tell you deep down inside I've always had admiration for comedians and I just wanted to be able to make people laugh. But you know I don't think I'm funny, never know. Yeah, you know when you can make somebody laugh, but you know I started watching Saturday Night Live in the 80s.

Speaker 2 21:17

Yeah.

Military Humor and Family Material

Speaker 1 21:18

So I look back and then you had some really great comedians come off of there Chris Rock, yeah. Eddie Murphy, yeah. A lot of inspiration. Did you like the Way it's? What was it? What was that, did you?

Speaker 2 21:40

Keenan Ivory yeah, absolutely live in color.

Speaker 1 21:43

You just love that.

Speaker 2 21:45

I used to sneak and watch it because my parents was like no, but I really wanted to like watch it because I was like this is funny, you know. And then I went to see the fly girls dance because I couldn't dance. Where a damn? Where'd you grow up?

Speaker 1 22:01

chicago, oh okay I couldn't.

Speaker 2 22:03

I couldn't dance, but I could laugh and I felt like I could joke. You know, like in living color was the best yes, the best and that's where you know well. Jim carrey was, you know, already in in Hollywood, but once he went on Live in Color.

Speaker 1 22:19

Oh, I had no idea he was. Oh wow Until after in Live in Color, but he's hilarious.

Speaker 2 22:25

I think he was at the comedy store a lot and just in Hollywood like performing at the comedy scenes.

Speaker 1 22:32

Right.

Speaker 2 22:33

So, but everybody that was on in Live in Color ended up doing great things, I know. So that was a great Love and Color ended up doing great things.

Speaker 1 22:39

I know, so that was a great cast for their careers. Yeah, I can't remember Kelly Coffey. I don't know what she's doing, but I remember everybody else. Is she I?

Speaker 2 22:52

don't know, I haven't seen her, but most of them, 90% of the cast, is still, you know, doing things.

Speaker 1 23:04

So yeah, comedy is just um. It's amazing. Um, how do you feel about standup versus improv?

Speaker 2 23:16

Oh, I've taken. I took an improv class at push theater.

Speaker 1 23:20

Yeah.

Speaker 2 23:21

That was last year and I Brad uh McCurran, mcmurran, mccurran, grad Brad McCurran. He runs um the classes over there.

Speaker 1 23:31

Yeah, brad, I know him. He was my teacher as well.

Speaker 2 23:34

The funniest I love.

Speaker 1 23:36

Brad yeah.

Speaker 2 23:37

I love Brad and um, I took the improv class to better my stage presence, interesting Cause I was not comfortable on stage, so that helped. Um, is it my favorite form of comedy? I think I'm good at it. I think that I could do it. I just like stand up because it allows me to do what I want. When you're doing improv, you have to make the other person look better. I don't want to build a joke off of somebody else. I want to do what I want to do. You know, right, and that's just what I like to do. But was it fun? Absolutely. Did I do great? Yes, but I just wanted to see how I felt on stage when I was doing improv. Something to venture. Probably in the future I'll probably take some more classes, because you can never, you know, be too good at something. I think that I can still build my skills by taking, you know, the second improv, the third and 301.

Speaker 2 24:47

So, interesting for later.

Speaker 1 24:50

Yeah, you mentioned earlier that you were thinking maybe about doing some acting. Have you done that?

Speaker 2 24:57

I have, I have Really yes, okay.

Speaker 1 24:59

I have Really yes Okay.

Speaker 2 25:00

I have. I had a short film that I did local and then I just filmed a small scene for a movie called Deadly Obsession 2. The first one was on U2B and Amazon Prime, so I'll have IMDB credits when it's released. Directors in Richmond, Kendra. And then I got the invite kicking myself for Blowback, which had the guy that was in Next friday which one the he was in dead.

Speaker 1 25:45

Presidents oh, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2 25:51

I can't remember his name, but he was in Blowback. Blowback was released it's at the film festival now and I got an invite from the director, brian Thompson, and I could not film because I had to work. So I had to kind of pass that pass on the opportunity. Hence is why I was like I have to retire because this is.

Speaker 1 26:13

You've been there long enough. Yes, yeah.

Speaker 2 26:14

You've been there long enough. Yes, yeah.

Speaker 1 26:16

You've served us well, thank you. Thank you for your support. So how did you get into acting?

Speaker 2 26:24

And I did a commercial for some CBOS. That was cool.

Speaker 1 26:27

Yeah.

Speaker 2 26:28

So I just wanted to do something different. You know, I don't know if that, you know if that's gonna evolve into something else, but a lot of comedians start acting. You know the kevin hearts and the tiffany haddish's and oh, tiffany's. Hilarious and I'm not mad at it you know right they're funny on screen too so yeah so it's something, it something. I just don't want to put a ceiling on something that has has potential.

Speaker 1 26:59

Right.

Speaker 2 27:00

So you know, if I'm here for 25 years, I can do 25 years somewhere else and and do good things.

Speaker 1 27:07

Yeah, you don't. You don't want to limit yourself at this point. If you can, you're on stage, you can be on stage.

Speaker 2 27:13

I got a good 10 years left until a facelift.

Speaker 1 27:18

So you have you.

Speaker 2 27:20

You do not look like you have a 25 year old, so so thank you he probably hates me. Am I checking out my mom, his friends? Yeah, he was like that's my mom. Yeah, yeah, so that like that's my mom, yeah, yeah so that's a good thing. You know, I am not mad at this DNA.

Speaker 1 27:42

Okay, cheers, mom, you know, absolutely yeah.

Speaker 2 27:46

So if I can keep it, you know and, and you know I've I've lost weight. So you know, when you know that you're going into entertainment, you can't they hire every size and shape. But for me I had to do it for myself.

Speaker 1 28:09

Right, you know. So I lost like 30 pounds on top of that. Yeah well, my acting teacher is like you need to lose weight, you need to do this.

Speaker 2 28:22

Your teeth needs to be right. I'm like. I'm going to get veneers in October, so it's just a lot of pressure. It's part of the business, though. You know I want more work. I want more work. You got to film well. It's just part of the business. That doesn't mean you have to be the most attractive. You just got to look good on camera.

Speaker 1 28:34

Well, you need to be able to act too. That too.

Speaker 2 28:38

But you got to work on that, you got to practice your lines and memorize.

Speaker 1 28:44

So are your parents alive.

Speaker 2 28:46

They are my dad's in Illinois and my mother's in New Hampshire.

Speaker 1 28:52

So what do they think? Have they seen you do stand up.

Speaker 2 28:55

They haven't yet.

Speaker 1 28:56

So my plan is you didn't make sure you invite them to one of them. Dirty shows.

Speaker 2 29:00

Well, they don't have to get these jokes, whether they dirty or clean. I did some. I did some content about my mother because she goes. You know, these older people go crazy on social media. They do not need accounts, OK. So older people go crazy on social media, they do not need accounts, okay. So they comment on stuff that's like six years old, like what are you doing back here? I don't like shit from yesterday. Why are you 2020? Like what is happening right now? So, um yeah, I just kind of like I am waiting.

Speaker 1 29:34

One of those moms.

Speaker 2 29:36

That I have that mom, so actually I'm going to submit. I got an invite for Crack them Up Thursday or Crack them Up Comedy in Chicago. So that is Nichelle Murdoch and she does all the Crack them Up series, them up series in la and she has a big range. So I can't wait to submit for that. Um, and I think it's like a tuesday night show, but if I can get in tuesday and do well, I can get in saturday. You know get some.

Speaker 2 30:08

Oh, that's how that works sometimes you got to build it up and I'm okay with it. Yeah, so a couple of goals, you know. Laugh Factory, la right Comedy store.

Speaker 1 30:21

All those are like.

Speaker 2 30:22

Second City Chicago.

Speaker 1 30:24

Those are like superior imperial chef's kiss names there. Yeah, absolutely when the greats have been.

Speaker 2 30:31

So yeah, those are on the bucket list. Go down Atlanta, you know, do Uptown, obviously, and the city winery in Chicago, and Philly, punchline, you know. All of those things are on the list and I'm going to get there. I just it's just a matter of when.

Speaker 1 30:50

Yeah, I believe it. So I believe you've come a long way in just a short period of time. Thank you, yeah, so, but you know, you have to be talented in order to do that.

Speaker 2 30:59

Yes, they're not going to pay you if you you're not funny, no, absolutely. They're going to be like boo.

Speaker 1 31:10

Yeah, so I'm looking forward to coming out to see you again. So I just got to keep an eye on when you're going to be around. So I'm going to do everything I can Let everybody know you're here because you're fantastic. Thank you, yeah, so kind and I just love to laugh. I love comedy and I appreciate you guys, you comedians. You get up there and you do those things to make people laugh, so, yeah, Absolutely yeah. All right. Final thoughts.

Speaker 2 31:49

Final thoughts. Thank you for having me, and I appreciate doing Listen Up podcast this is a great platform and I appreciate doing Lesson Up Podcast this is a great platform and I'm going to tell all my followers to follow Al Neely.

Speaker 1 32:01

Oh, please do. Yeah, I need to build mine.

Speaker 2 32:06

It's hard, man, it's hard building this social media.

Speaker 1 32:10

Yeah, it's a challenge and everybody's in the lane now. So you started 15, 20 years ago. There was nobody in it.

Navigating Social Media and Comedy Lanes

Speaker 2 32:17

Nobody. Yeah, and they were doing it from the kitchen table, and now they're millionaires. Right, and it was all audio.

Speaker 1 32:26

Yeah, so it's changed quite a bit.

Speaker 2 32:29

It was so hard because we didn't grow up doing that.

Speaker 1 32:32

No, and the generation, your son's generation, it's like technology is like, yeah, okay, secondhand to that.

Speaker 2 32:42

And some of these people are getting gigs because they're funny Internet comedians, really. Yes, so there's a lot of comedians that are stand up now, but they started doing skits or sketches on on Instagram you know, and they'll get booked all over the country and it happens that way and that's how they start. Stand up. I ain't mad at it.

Speaker 1 33:09

Get the bag get the bag as long as they're funny, or?

Speaker 2 33:12

they bring somebody that's funny enough to carry that show, I think they're fine. I'm not against it because I'm not going to hate on anybody's hustle because they're doing something. They're making a lane for themselves, so some people don't like it. I just say, hey, get your hustle on, do what you need to do.

Speaker 1 33:34

That's enough for everybody, correct? That's the way I look at it. So you're in competition with yourself.

Speaker 2 33:40

Better than yesterday, that's it.

Speaker 1 33:42

Yep, absolutely. So what I want to do is I want to put as much as I can out for you, so I'm going to make sure everything is attached to your platforms for you.

Speaker 2 33:59

Okay.

Speaker 1 34:00

So exposure.

Speaker 2 34:03

Absolutely. I'm going to do my best, all right. All right All right.

Speaker 1 34:07

So, everyone, thank you for tuning in and thank you, kels, for coming in and talking with us, and we have to have you on again, ok. Ok, when you get a little bit more time in the future, come on. And that's our show for today. Thank you for tuning in to Listen Up and we'll see you next time on Listen Up.