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Finding His Way: An Interview With Shane Gillis

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This week I got to talk with the very funny Shane Gillis. I’ve always been a fan of blue comedy, or as some call it, dark comedy. I don’t know why everything has to be about color. Anyways, you can catch him this weekend doing five shows at Sandman Comedy Club. I’ve seen/heard Gillis on many podcasts and his improv skills are as sharp as his thought-out standup bits. We talked about starting out in a smaller town comedy club, the journey to the big city, and the difference/similarities in the crowds. It was a fun chat. Here it is:

Gabe: Have you ever been to Richmond?

Shane: I have. My friend played basketball for the Spiders.

Gabe: Oh nice. You started out in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania?

Shane: Yes.

Gabe: What was the comedy scene like there starting out?

Shane: There was only one club you could do to five minutes a week on. And it was rough. It was a rough open mic, but it was fun.

Gabe: I imagine. I guess within the state, it’s pretty easy to transition to go to Philly after that?

Shane: Very.

Gabe: Was there a noticeable change in the vibe of the audience going from Harrisburg to Philly?

Shane: Oh, definitely. I mean the Harrisburg Comedy Zone compared to a silly silly crowd can be… Yeah, a lot of times it’s very different, for sure.

Gabe: But then you go up to New York and that’s probably it’s even more like that?

Shane: Yeah. It’s even more. It’s very, very different. I mean, they make Philly look conservative. Well, I don’t know. I don’t mean conservative, but you know what I mean. [Laughs]

Gabe: [Laughs] Uptight. For sure. So, what was that first year like? Trying to find your voice and seeing if you could do it? What were some small term goals?

Shane: I don’t think I had a goal. I just liked doing it. Of course, in your head you’re going to do a theater, but if anything was the goal it’s to be able to host at the club. You want to be good enough, because you see the guys who are hosting and you want to be like, ‘I can do that. I’m just as funny as them. I can do that.’ You just gotta keep putting in the time until hopefully a manager there sees you.

Gabe: I notice in your comedy that you don’t forget your roots or where you came from. You bring up where you grew up and compare it to where you are now in New York. And I think you like where you came from, is what it was sounds like to me. Which I think is great and important.

Shane: Yes, I do like where I came from, and I think it’s important for people that live in cities to realize that everybody outside of the city isn’t the devil, and vice versa.

Gabe: You’re almost a visitor within your own country but you’re not, you’re just at a different part of the country that’s not where you came from.

Shane: I think that’s fair to say. Yeah. And then whenever I’m performing in, like, if I’m going back to Harrisburg, I remind them the city is all right too. [Laughs]

Gabe: Eventually you start transitioning into sketch comedy. I love Gilly and Keeves by the way.

Shane: Ah thanks a lot.

Gabe: Of course. So in terms of writing, how do you approach a sketch different to standup?

Shane: John McKeever [Keeves] is a really good writer. They had a show called Delco Proper [on Comedy Central] when I moved to Philly. Those were the guys I looked up to, John McKeever and Tommy Pope and all the Delco Proper guys. And so, it was always a goal to work with them. And as far as standup into sketch goes, John is a really, really good writer. So he writes a lot of the sketches, or hears a premise that I’ve said in standup and then he can expand an entire sketch out of it. But yeah, John does the writing.

Gabe: How do you think things like YouTube and podcasts have added to comedy culture and output?

Shane: It definitely added to it. I mean, that’s where I get fans. I don’t know if you heard but I’m not…

Gabe: [chuckles] I have.

Shane: [laughs] I got in some trouble.  I mean, the industry doesn’t exactly like me right now. So yeah, you got to do it on your own terms. You know, it eliminates the gatekeepers. There’s people out there doing it. There’s guys like Tim Dillon, and Schultz and all these guys.

Gabe: When it comes to this business though, the fans are very loyal and stick by, because they know you and your style of funny.

Shane: Yeah. And I didn’t want to become, like, a free speech guy. I just wanted to keep doing comedy, you know, I didn’t want to let it define me. I just wanted to do comedy.

Gabe: So, do you try to challenge yourself with concepts in your comedy?

Shane: Yeah, for sure. I mean there’s definitely things that… because you know your own sense of humor. Then it’s just finding your way. Finding what you think is funny, or what you know is funny, and then trying to figure out how to make sure everybody else understands why it’s funny, you know?

Gillis was a very gracious interview and very open. It was definitely an enjoyable conversation. Shane’s sketch comedy videos by Gilly and Keeves can be found on YouTube and his podcast, Matt and Shane’s Secret Podcast, is on all podcast platforms as well as making many guest appearances on The Bonfire on SiriusXM. Go see Shane Gillis this weekend headlining at Sandman Comedy Club right here in Richmond, featuring Chris O’Connor opening up the night. Five shows Thursday through Saturday. Be sure to show up an hour early for food and beverages.

Tickets are available at Sandman Comedy Club.

Finesse Mitchell Is Settin’ Off Sandman Comedy Club

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Richmond’s brand new Sandman Comedy Club is setting things off right by bringing in former Comic View and Saturday Night Live star Finesse Mitchell for its opening weekend. Gabe Santamaria spoke to Finesse to get the lowdown on what he has in store for us all.

Sandman Comedy Club has it’s grand opening this Thursday. To kick off the many laughs to come is Comic View vet and Saturday Night Live alumni Finesse Mitchell. Known not only as a stand-up comedian but also an actor, author, and podcaster, Mitchell has been making audiences howl since 1999 with his detailed stories, characters, and spot-on timing. The seasoned comic agreed to do a phone interview with me — check it out below.

Gabe: You’re from Atlanta. Did you come up in that comedy scene? What was that like?

Finesse: Atlanta at the time, it was just… my days coming up was during BET’s Comic View.

Gabe: Oh yeah, I remember Comic View.

Finesse: Yeah, so everybody was on Comic View. Earthquake, Bruce Bruce, Sheryl Underwood, Mo’Nique. So, if you like comedy and you’re getting into it then, you couldn’t help but keep going back to the comedy clubs, because you would see the people you saw on TV. So it was real cool.

I started out at Miami, Florida, because I went to school at the University of Miami and I played ball for them. But I used to go to the Coconut Grove, or what we called the Miami Improv. And so, when I finally moved back to Atlanta after school was over with, I started going to the Uptown Comedy Corner and stuff like that. When I saw the people, I knew: “I can do this”

Gabe: I’ve been watching your stuff for a while and I can tell you’re very good at painting a scenario for the audience.

Finesse: I can’t say that I’m a huge joke teller, but I’ve definitely got a funny story that stitches it all together. I was watching my tape the other day. I just got back from Cleveland and I was watching it. And probably the first ten minutes, I don’t think I told a joke, but they were dying. So, I think reached that point in my career and in my stand-up that the delivery is gonna be funny. And that’s half the battle.

Gabe: I was listening to your podcast, the Understand This podcast, and you were talking about Starkisha. That character started out as a bit in your stand-up and eventually evolved into an SNL sketch. What was that process like? Was it something that developed over time or something you had right away?

Finesse: Well, one thing I did learn from Bill Bellamy coming up under him, like we were saying in the podcast, was “instead of talking about that person, become the person.” So instead of me talking about this ghetto girl in the movie theatre, be her. He actually saw me start this story. About four or five months in, it was one of the funniest things about the night. Everybody would be leaving talking about Starkisha. So when I got a chance to audition for SNL, I was like “You think I should do that?” [Bill Bellamy] said, “Uuuhh, dummy. Yeah.”

Gabe: Over the years sets evolve and styles evolve. How has your set updated over the years, up to now?

Finesse: Bro, I feel like I’m a jedi now. I feel like I’m one of the funniest people that hasn’t truly popped yet. Like a Tiffany Haddish or a Kevin Hart. But I feel like it’s coming. These are good problems. Every time you get close, you might book a TV show. There’s a lot of comics that don’t book TV shows or movies, so they stay on the road. The thing about booking a series is that it keeps you off the road and makes you not want to go back, because you get comfortable with just going to work at a studio instead of taking these flights everywhere. But people who can balance that and can stay active end up winning more. So that’s what I’m doing this time. When I come to Richmond, I’m probably going to be three more weekends out before I shoot my comedy special. I’m actually coming to [Sandman Comedy Club] to work on my comedy special, which I plan to shoot in June.

Gabe: How do you feel podcasts have given or taken away from comedy, especially now having your own podcast?

Finesse: I think it’s where everybody is headed. Because everybody realizes now that you can be a Joe Rogan if you do a thousand episodes. You could be a Your Mom’s House, like Tom Segura, or a Joe Budden. And it’s a great way not only to write new material; it’s like having your own radio show. I’m thirty shows in, but it’s getting pretty popular pretty fast, and a lot of people want to come on and talk with me. So, I love it.

Gabe: OK, I have one more question for you before you get out of here. So, you have a good bit of Prince material. I was wondering, has he, before he passed, ever heard your bits about him?

Finesse: I do not know, but I will say meeting him was, of course, one of the highlights of my life. That’s all I can say. He was like [the] musical god when I was a kid coming up. When I was on SNL, he was the musical guest. It was just like, “I can’t believe this is happening. That I’m in this same small-ass room with Prince.” A lot of people think SNL is big, but when you go to the show, you’re like, “This is it?” But it’s literally like — damn, that’s Prince right there. I just waved at him. He just looked at me and turned his nose up. “Oh, this is the best day ever. I just got ignored by Prince.” And I can say that.

But I want to definitely let people know I’m excited to get to Richmond, I’m excited to do the hour. Because I feel like people haven’t been to a good comedy show in a long time, so they don’t have a lot of stuff to compare it to. I’m in the business of making fans for life. So I hope the club lasts, picks up steam, and gains a good reputation for bringing in good talent. And I’m definitely going to set it off right.

It was a pleasure speaking with Finesse Mitchell who is truly a funny and genuine guy. His Understand This podcast is available on all streaming platforms. You can catch Finesse at Sandman Comedy Club April 29 through May 1, doing seven shows throughout the weekend. The shows will feature Matt Rife opening the show and Mu Cuzzo hosting. Doors open an hour before each show; be sure to show up early for dinner and drinks. Schedule and tickets are available at Sandman Comedy Club’s website.