Authenticity is key

By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey
Reader Staff

For nationally touring stand-up comedian Brendan Gay, humor is simply a conduit for sharing stories about a muse he knows best: himself.

“It’s all coming from me,” Gay told the Reader when asked what inspires his style of comedy. “There’s no secret to it, right?”

Gay’s authentic craft will be on full display as he performs Friday, Nov. 18 at the Panida Theater. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the laughs will start at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 in advance online and $15 at the door.

Stand-up comedian Brendan Gay. Courtesy photo.

Gay said he draws on his experience as a “Black guy who grew up poor in a rich white neighborhood” when he writes his material, as well as his more recent experiences performing stand-up in 48 of the 50 states. Whether it’s observations about minority culture or quips on life as a millennial, Gay has an arsenal of personal insights he uses to weave his comic web.

“My identity comes from my growing up and being different,” he said, “and then experiencing so much around the U.S.”

Gay is nearly seven years into his comedy career, which came only after achieving his ultimate goal of becoming a successful medical device salesman after college. While the money was good, the gig wasn’t fulfilling.

“It’s tough, right?” he said. “You get everything you wanted, that you worked hard for, and then once you get it you’re like, ‘This is not it.’”

Gay tried stand-up comedy and “really never looked back,” he said. He has since recorded a comedy album; embarked on a “52 x 52” tour, during which he visited 52 cities in 52 weeks; become the producer of a podcast; and earned top spots in several comedy competitions, including TruTV’s Comedy Breakout initiative at The New York Television Festival, the Make Me Laugh USA Competition and NBC’s Stand Up Diversity Showcase.

“It wasn’t glamorous at first. There was a lot of bombing,” he said. “It was a grown passion. I think that was important — at least for me in my comedy journey. This wasn’t a thing that I was completely obsessed with right away. It grew into a passion.”

Those who take in Gay’s Panida show are guaranteed to “leave laughing and thinking differently,” he said. 

“I’m just trying to be myself up there — with jokes,” he said. “If you come to see my show, you’ll really get to know me and how I relate to the culture we’re living in today.”

Brendan Gay Stand-Up Comedy • Friday, Nov. 18; $10 in advance, $15 at the door. Panida Theater, 300 N. First Ave., 208-263-9191. Get advance tickets at panida.org.