Branden McCowin

Today I am interviewing Branden McCowin, a comedian born in York, PA who has been doing comedy for two years. To find out more about Branden, please visit his website.

Why did you start doing stand-up comedy?

Started just as fun because i like making people laugh. I honestly think anyone in my family could have been a comedian from my Dad, Mom or any of my brothers or sisters. We all are naturally funny. I think I'm just the only one who figured out that you could actually make money off it lol.. But the feeling of making a room full of people laugh is the best high you could have. trust me I had a few.. Plus this one pays you instead of paying it. Win-win.

Did you find anything surprising about stand-up comedy since you started?

I'm not funny as a comedian! Well me trying to be a comedian. It boggled me that when I tried to "write jokes" they sucked! Like when I first started doing comedy I'd just get up and talk. But when I decided to take it serious i tried to "become" this stand up comic. and wrote and tried to talk like I thought I should as a comedian. It took me forever to realize to be myself, and get back to being comfortable to being myself. How dumb does it sound trying to "learn" to be yourself?

What was your first time performing comedy like?

First started comedy while in the Air force stationed in Spokane, Washington. Went out with a friend Harry Riley who was interested in going to an Open mic. Harry was a naturally funny guy but the thought of him doing stand up was funny enough to pay the price of admission/ I went for support but ended up going up as well. I had no set written and no jokes prepared, i just went up there and said a lot of funny things I noticed that night and made jokes about the air force. After that forgot all about comedy until moving to Atlanta and being suggested by a girlfriend to give it a try. I didn't bomb but just didn't take it that serious. It wasn't until a chance meeting with a fellow comedian Karlous Miller a year later, who seen me that first night remembered me and encouraged me to take it more serious. I always knew I was funny just never thought of being comedian as "tangible goal". I had always been funny since making kids spit out there milk through their nose in 2nd grade, or sending kids home asking for new school clothes the first day of school. But after meeting Karlous Hima and others really showed me the ropes. I started hanging out with the "Atlanta Crew" going to clubs in Atlanta almost nightly in 2008, and then in February 2009 moved to NYC to further pursue this jedi-like training in the art of stand up comedy.