Hello reader! Today we chat with the fabulous Kade Wonders, who’s about to dazzle Richmond with “The Gayest Show On Earth” on July 18th at Hardywood Craft Brewery. From navigating the jitters of open mics to hosting big names at the Funny Bone, Kade spills the tea on their comedy journey, the art of bombing gracefully, and the thrill of blending stand-up with drag performances.
Gabriel Santamaria: Yeah. So, let’s start from the beginning. How did you get started in comedy, and how long have you been doing it?
Kade Wonders: Yeah, for sure. So, I’ve been doing it for, it’ll be two years on August 1st, actually. So this coming August, will be two years. I took a Coalition Theater stand-up 101 class. I knew I wanted to do it before then, but I just didn’t know exactly where to start, and I wasn’t super confident. So, it gave me a lot of confidence. Lucy Bonino was my TA. I know you’ve talked with her before.
GS: So, transitioning from the class to open mics, was that a different feeling? Did the classes make you more confident, or was there still some anxiety?
KW: Yeah, there’s definitely still anxiety. It’s kind of like pulling a band-aid off. Going to the class is helpful because you get the tools you need and some assurance. It’s super helpful for workshopping jokes and stuff. So, when you go up for your first mic, you at least know what you’re going to say. But there’s still that feeling of ripping the band-aid off. The first mic I went to was at Legend Brewing, and I think I sat in my car for an hour before going inside. There’s still that initial anxiety.
GS: Oh, still to this day?
KW: Not anymore. It’s much easier now. There’s still some anxiety for important shows or new audiences, but not as bad.
GS: Well, you’ve graduated to hosting for some bigger names now at the Funny Bone and stuff. Does that feel like a little more pressure sometimes because you’re in front of a different audience or a bigger name?
KW: Yeah, 100%. So, I did the weekend hosting gig for Michael Yo when he was in town a couple of weeks ago. For the first show, I was like, oh, this is different. This is fun. It’s more like an adrenaline rush. I feel like the best way to tap into the anxiety is to use it as energy on stage, which isn’t always easy to do. But that’s the best way because if you’re nervous up there, the audience can tell. You have to convert that nervous energy into something positive.
GS: I did some research and came across “The Gayest Show On Earth.” Tell me about that.
KW: Yeah. So, I started doing it about a year ago, last June. I hadn’t worked with drag performers before, so I was like, oh no, I hope they like me. But all the drag performers I’ve worked with have been wonderful. It’s been a great chance to spotlight queer comics. I also have a token straight dude that I get to make fun of, which has always been fun. I’ve had a bunch of my comedy friends fill that role as well. It’s been a really fun time, and I’ve gotten bigger audiences out. Usually, we get between 60-80 folks coming out to watch both drag and stand-up. It’s just been really fun.
GS: Before you got into comedy, what made you laugh as a kid? Was it a family member, TV show, comedian, or classmate?
KW: Just goofy and absurd stuff, like exaggerated impressions or cartoons. My parents had blue-collar comedy DVDs, and Larry the Cable Guy was my favorite because he was the goofiest.
GS: Well, he was probably the most exaggerated of them all because that was a real act right there.
KW: Right. Yeah. Just the charisma, the exaggeration, and the big personality. Once YouTube became a thing, which was when I was in middle school, I went on and found George Carlin and other stand-ups. I was like, oh, this is fun. This is cool. From there, my comedy watching and figuring out what I like has grown.
GS: Cool. So, going from open mics to being a regular, then hosting, and now headlining and getting real spots, how many hours a week do you think you spend on it? You have a lot of clips up, and that must take some time.
KW: Oh my God, yeah. I’ve been trying to get better about it. Usually, if I have a show, I’ll sit down for about an hour afterward to figure out what I want to clip from it. Sometimes, during an audience interaction, I’ll think, “Oh yeah, this will be great, I should definitely clip this,” but then I’ll watch it back and realize it wasn’t that good. It definitely takes extra time, sitting down, clipping, and then adding subtitles.
GS: Yeah, we see. Sitting down, setting up your camera, or asking someone, “Can you just record my set real quick?”
KW: Right. Yeah, there’s a lot of behind-the-scenes stuff. You also have to watch the set afterward. When I first started, that was one of the big things—I was like, “Oh no, I have to listen to myself.”
GS: I mean, I do sometimes. Also, I’m a musician, so I have to do some stuff like singing and podcasting. Even with that, people would ask if I remembered a specific part where I said something, and I’d be like, “Oh no, I didn’t listen to it.” It’s tough to listen to your own voice because you’re your own worst critic sometimes. But you have to get over that hump.
KW: Yeah, it is encouraging to listen to a set that goes well. But the flip side is forcing yourself to listen to when you bomb to figure out why you bombed.
GS: I’m sure listening to yourself killing it is the greatest feeling in the world.
KW: Right?
GS: But, like,
KW: Like, “Oh my God, I’m awesome!” And then you listen to yourself bombing, and you’re like, “I should never speak again. God.”
GS: Let’s talk about that a little bit. Stand-up is really big right now, and people are interested in it but also scared of bombing. How would you tell them that bombing is kind of a learning experience?
KW: Yeah. I mean, realistically, the worst thing that can happen on stage is that no one laughs. No one’s going to come in and beat you up on stage or anything like that. You’re probably not going to throw up on stage either. The worst thing is just silence. The best way to get over it is to let it happen. The first time is the worst, but you just have to get back on and try again, like falling off a bike. If you feel up to it, record your set, listen back to it, and figure out what happened. Sometimes it’s the delivery, and sometimes you realize you should have said something differently. One of the best ways to improve is to listen back to what you said because, in the moment, you might get tripped up or forget something.
GS: Yeah. Tripping up your words and delivery can be tricky. Sometimes comedians have something that worked before and wonder why it isn’t working now.
KW: Right. Yeah. That’s something I’ve noticed performing for different audiences, hopping around and doing stuff outside of Richmond, which is always super fun. But certain things don’t hit with certain audiences, depending on where you’re at, and you’re like, “Oh no, that always works.” It’s very shaking the first time you do something, and you’re like, “Oh no, that’s my big joke. If it doesn’t land, what else will?”
GS: If that didn’t land, I don’t know what else is gonna land.
KW: Right? You’re like, “I don’t know what you guys want, but we’re gonna get through this together.”
GS: And then there’s a throwaway joke that everybody loves.
KW: Right? Like something you’ve never said before. I remember one audience where they just wanted me to be mean to them. So I did crowd work making fun of them, and they liked it better than anything else.
GS: Oh yeah, I’m going to be like that. I was listening to someone’s bombing story recently, and they said they were bombing and trying a joke when someone shouted, “We get it.” So, they moved on to the next one, and the same thing happened. They were like, “No, this usually kills.” Then, the craziest heckle I’ve ever heard in my life happened. Someone shouted, “Try some similes.”
KW: Stop. Oh yeah.
GS: He suggested trying some similes.
KW: It’s, like, almost advice. That’s so funny. I love that.
GS: I mean, I don’t know how one would react to that. It’s such an original criticism, or maybe it’s advice. I don’t know.
KW: I don’t even know. I guess it depends, but it’s so funny. I guess you could do that if you’re working on a joke, but that’s…
GS: So funny. Well, tell me about this show coming up. What can we expect? Where is it?
Kade Wonders: Hell yeah. So, the next version of “The Gayest Show on Earth,” Summer 2024 edition, is going to be at Hardywood on Ownby Lane, near Scott’s Addition. We’ve got Patrice Devo, who is RVA-based but travels a lot. I think she was in the Netherlands last. She’s so fun. Absolutely one of my favorites. She’s so funny, and I’m super psyched to have her on. Then we’ve got a DC comic coming down, Eric Barbalase. He runs Room 808 up in DC, has been on the DC Improv, and has done a bunch of other stuff. He’s super funny as well.
On the stand-up comedy side, my token ally, my token straight guy, is Nate Bechtel. He’s a former Richmond comic who moved to Charlotte in January. He’s been doing a ton of stuff down there, including running a room and recently participating in North Carolina’s Funniest competition. He’s a super fun guy, so I’m going to make him sweat, maybe even get him canceled. We’ll see.
On the drag side, we’ve got Chicky Parm, who’s a Richmond staple. She’s very fun and funny. We also have Beau Tox, a drag king, and Lavender Menace, another drag performer. So, three very talented drag performers. My favorite part of the show is seeing how much effort drag performers put into their outfits and acts. It’s such a cool craft, and as a stand-up, I just get up there with my jokes. It feels…
GS: …very goofy. [laughs]
KW: Right. But yeah, it’s going to be really good.
GS: Heck yeah, that sounds awesome. I remember speaking to a drag friend of mine, and I asked if they write off all their clothes on their taxes. They were like, “Hell yeah, I do. I write off all my stuff.”
KW: It’s just wild.
GS: Yeah, I thought it was a pretty good idea because they’re paid as contracted performers and don’t get taxes taken out of their checks. So, when they get 1099s at the end of the year, they have to write off a bunch of stuff to avoid owing a lot of taxes. Clothes, high heels, everything.
KW: Yeah, that makes sense. For comics, it’s similar with gas money and travel expenses. I know some folks up in DC who come down for shows and try to pack the weekend with multiple gigs so their hotel stays count as performance-related for the whole weekend.
GS: That’s right. Hey, buddy, just become a prop comic and write off all the stuff on taxes.
KW: Honestly, I’m quitting and pivoting to that now.
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Photograph by Alex Burruss
