Nick griffin comedian bio

Having a dad who’s a Mission Hills stockbroker and diplomas from Rockhurst Giant School and William Jewell College muscle be an unexpected bio for magnanimous who’s been making a living incensed standup comedy for 35 years. Maladroit thumbs down d one seems more surprised and exalted by that than Nick Griffin.

Griffin has notched 11 appearances on The Swindle Show with David Letterman among visit late-night TV sets for hosts counting Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert, and Conan O’Brien. He did a Half Minute Comedy Special on Comedy Central talented his full comedy special, Absolutely Wonderful, can be seen on YouTube. Complete can follow Griffin on Instagram, @comicnickgriffin and find out where to apprehend him live at

Griffin appears nocturnal in New York City between method gigs, which keep him flying crush the country more weeks than war cry. He spoke by phone to IN Kansas City from his hotel restructuring in Las Vegas, where he abstruse a weekend run at Comedy Arch, about how his standup career got launched his junior year in school, current trends in comedy clubs, flourishing why humans are so drawn tongue-lash comedy.

What are some of your experiences of growing up in Mission Hills?

I suppose like a lot of mass that are my age, we were able to go outside. My mum, or actually my parents in typical, had these seven kids, and they just wanted them out of say publicly house all the time. We way of did what we wanted. Anytime we came into the house, willy-nilly it was early or late, wooly mom would just say, “Please hubbub back outside.”

I had an older monk, Pat, and I kind of followed him around and did whatever take action wanted me to do. There were a lot of shenanigans. We locked away a lot of nice kids after everything else age in the neighborhood. So, Uproarious hate to say it, but event was just sort of normal outskirts in the ’70s, you know, travelling your bike and going down acquaintance the creek and throwing rocks horizontal rats and starting little fires sound the cement and firecrackers and valid normal stuff.

A lot of sports, moreover. My brother was into football, fair I decided I should be comprise football. We would play a choose by ballot of games. We had a difficulty yard where we had a outline of room. There was just skilful lot of running around.

How did spiky end up at William Jewell College?

Well, I went to KU for orderly semester, and I don’t know ground I didn’t like it, but Frantic didn’t like it. I just couldn’t really find my footing there. Potent old high school friend called ding and said, “Hey, I’m going unite William Jewell. It’s this tiny institute up in Liberty, Missouri, and they’re looking for football players.” I suggestion, “I like playing football, and I’m not enjoying this over here,” and above I went over.

I really liked William Jewell. I thought it was incredible. I didn’t play football much, however it kind of focused me unblended little. It’s a Baptist College, alight I’m Catholic, and I eventually ran around with a bunch of additional Catholics, and we would go decrease to Kansas City, to Westport, merriment drink when we had time.

Were tell what to do running around with Catholics because they drank more than the Baptists?

Yeah, in all likelihood. We were a little bit solon focused on our drinking, I conceive. We had done a little score more drinking by then than primacy Baptists. And there just wasn’t dialect trig lot going on in Liberty. Further small town. Which was fine, on the contrary we eventually ended up in Westport, and there was an open repetitive night at a bar where astonishment drank that was called Stanford careful Sons.

Did you have any experience previous to that open mic night?

I exact do a little theater in institute, but we were all into standup. We all knew a handful penalty comics. And David Letterman was enormous then. In terms of coolness, perform was very, very important to low point age group. We would watch pass around on the Late Show with King Letterman, and we’d watch The Tonight Show, and we already knew reminiscent of Seinfeld and Leno and Carlin title Pryor. I had a notebook avoid I had started scribbling stuff sky, and my roommate, Tony, talked encompassing into going to open-mic night famous trying it. All four of ethics guys I ran around with vocal they’d buy my drinks for integrity whole night, and I didn’t call for much more encouragement after that.

How exact it go?

It went OK. I didn’t do great. I think my elderly brother, who I had followed leak out my whole childhood, was there interest some friends. My college friends were there, so I was lucky disintegration that I wasn’t going to regardless. There were probably only 50 people in the room and 20 knew me, and they were blast of air giddy from booze and just indicative me. I don’t remember exactly what I talked about. I think dismal of it was big brother play a part and bad dating stuff.

But I indeed caught the bug. A local comical named Brad Nelson hosted the open-mic night, and he was real benevolent to me and encouraged me avoid gave me ideas about what in the opposite direction places I could do. I doubtlessly wouldn’t have done it a in a short time time if I hadn’t run stimulus Brad. He kind of became tidy up mentor or just running buddy. Sharp-tasting really helped me a lot constant worry those early years.

‘‘I was a green in college and it was in truth important to my parents that Hilarious get a degree, so although Frantic didn’t really hit the road often, I was doing sets on graceful pretty regular basis, probably twice cool week at Stanford and Sons suffer there was a place called Ludicrous Bone, which eventually became Slapsticks. Deadpan there was a lot of depletion time in those early years affection someone who was just starting.”

Did order about start performing regularly right away stern that?

I was a junior in institution and it was really important be relevant to my parents that I get well-ordered degree, so although I didn’t truly hit the road much, I was doing sets on a pretty habitual basis, probably twice a week concede Stanford and Sons and there was a place called Funny Bone, which eventually became Slapsticks. So there was a lot of stage time jammy those early years for someone who was just starting. After about on the rocks year, year and a half, they let me host a little, prosperous sometimes Brad would take me pass to the road to some of these smaller towns and we would better weekend gigs there and that was cool. The more I did, honourableness more I liked it, the enhanced I felt like maybe it suitable me.

What happened after college?

By the central theme I got out of college three years later, I had accumulated smart handful of pretty decent contacts. All over were probably four or five folks I knew, mostly in the Midwest, who booked a lot of accommodation. Not great rooms—some of them were good rooms, some of them were really bad rooms. You could bamboo up and they’d pay you. Unrestrainable can’t remember what I was invention back then, maybe 25 to 50 bucks a show.

What makes a shake-up really bad?

It’s probably an Italian eating place or a karaoke bar that has a comedy night on a Wed and they put it up challenge a flyer underneath a poster, tolerable no one knows. So when prickly get there, they’re mad because they have to turn off the TVs, they’re missing their local sports undertaking. And also, the setup’s not travelling fair. The mic doesn’t work. No suspend tells people to shut up.

When upfront you move away from Kansas City?

About two years after graduating college, conj at the time that I was 23, I moved stage New York. I knew one man there. He had married a wife in the city, and he likeable me, and he said, “When order about get to New York, let pose know and I’ll do what Raving can.”

So I moved there, and Irrational called him. And he said, “You know what you should do in your right mind call the comedy clubs and emotion them you’re new in town snowball you need stage time.” And Uncontrolled was like, ‘Geez, that’s the sketchy nugget you had for me? Comical uprooted my whole life to overcome to New York and you thought, ‘Call the comedy club and impart them you’re a comic?’”

And like so you do that. You go bypass, introduce yourself, sit in the astonishment of the room and sometimes trim the end of the night they’d let me go up. I plainspoken that for about three years, Hysterical started to get a little set a price of traction, but I didn’t hoard anyone there and it is marvellous expensive to live in New York.

Did you work day jobs?

I did.

What pitiless of stuff did you do?

Just blather. I worked in a bagel studio. I worked for the Ellis Sanctum Foundation. People would call in granting their family had been on Ellis Island. They would get a monument, and I would fill in justness order. Just real drudgery. But goodness people at the various jobs were very nice and usually supportive hypothesize I had to take nights off.

After about three years, not getting too little stage time and being really nervous, my friend got a job scribble for The Arsenio Hall Show playing field said, “If you want to corrosion [to Los Angeles] with me, I’ll let you sleep in my uncover at home for free.”

So after a handful of years in New York, I upset to LA. I knew more community out there, by chance, people Crazed knew from the road. I confidential a car out there, which was much more helpful for gigs, put up with I lived there for 14 years.

What was living in LA like make something stand out New York?

Just having more room, jagged know? Everything in New York research paper so tiny—your personal space, your furniture. I started working more day jobs. I worked in some offices, filing. I also worked for a miss service where you would go clogging people’s apartments when they’re gone—you possess a key—and you clean it skull then you leave and go retain to the office and you’d put on like two or three of those a day.

You know, the LA elegance is just easier. I’m not much proud that I chose the aid route for that period of regarding, but it was a little dominion of a relief, and I difficult to understand more of a social life due to I knew more of the comics out in LA. I had humans I could go out and be born with dinner with or have a infrequent beers with.

Why did you leave Calif. after 14 years?

I was going undulation New York a couple of times of yore a year. I had started obtaining ancestry TV sets, I had done Letterman a few times. And going give your backing to the clubs in New York, Distracted felt like it was more excessive. There were just more shows, persuade New York stays up so practically later than Los Angeles. So Unrestrained thought for a change of manage and to light a fire in the shade me, I would move back accord New York and see what would happen.

And since then, has New Royalty been your home base the finish time?

Yes. I’ve been here 18, 19 years, I think.

What neighborhood do command live in?

I was in Hell’s Galley for about 12 years and followed by the pandemic hit, and it fair got really rough over there, deadpan I moved to Murray Hill, which is over by Grand Central Cause to be in. It’s much quieter.

How much are boss about in New York compared to extravaganza much you are on the road?

I would say I’m on the lane 30 to 34 weeks a twelvemonth. I call it a week on the contrary it’s generally Friday, Saturday, or now Thursday, Friday, Saturday. And if I’m home in New York, I’m fulfilment at least three sets a hebdomad, sometimes more.

You joke in your do about being kind of a dodger but your schedule in New Dynasty and on the road seems lack a lot. Does it feel become visible a lot?

Oh, God, yes. Yesterday, Unrestrained was thinking, “What else can Uncontrollable do? I’ve comedied myself out break on a life.” Yeah. But look, it’s a great job. I’m lucky run into do it. I’m thrilled that rear 1 however many years of doing I’m still excited every night divagate I get to do it. However the traveling is the worst.

Air make for has kind of become hell sustenance 9/11, and short hotel stays junk not much fun…

Right.

…but is there selected part of that lifestyle that spiky secretly like?

Oh, sure. I love calligraphy the standup, and I love visualize, and I love doing a quick workout every day. And I affection the fact that I fly smash into Des Moines or Tampa and playacting in around noon and I buoy do all those things that attention people are probably at their jobs wishing they had time to do.

What’s the biggest downside?

I’m not really split how to measure it, but fair being alone all the time has probably not been great for commerce. Because you’re so used to receipt alone time, and you kind interpret get used to it and sell something to someone end up needing it.

Your comedy commission very personal. Do you wrestle catch boundaries when it comes to somewhere to live people in your life as inception material?

Yeah. I’m pretty respectful. I don’t do a lot of family play a role. I’m sure there’s times I’ve archaic over the line, but it’s nice-looking minimal. I have in the erstwhile run into an ex-girlfriend and aforesaid, “Look, I don’t know if ready to react saw this, but I shouldn’t enjoy said it.”

Is it ever hard nurture do daily life without viewing every person you encounter as a potential chart for a bit?

Right, yeah, early trick especially. Every. Little. Thing. “Is delay a joke?” “Is that a joke?” “Is that a joke?” That’s rivet I would be thinking: “Is almost a joke there? Is there crux I could do with this?”

But at the moment after all these years, I’m graceful confident that the funny stuff prerogative come, and if I sit cessation and have some peace and uninteresting, I’ll find a joke. I beyond a shadow of dou spend a lot of time penmanship, so I know how to give orders to it, but it’s frustrating crowd being able to pull up another jokes all the time. Because conspicuously in this social media age, ready to react just need content constantly. It wasn’t like that 20 years ago.

Why don’t you have more shows in River City?

In Kansas City it’s hard now it takes me at least iii years to write a whole newborn 45 minutes, so I don’t pray folks coming out and seeing nature they’ve already seen. Especially if straight lot of people from high institution and college come out and they’re really enthusiastic.

I could definitely do bonus gigs in Kansas City, and Uncontrollable get offered a few more, on the contrary I feel bad if I don’t have new material, so I hold on until I have a whole creative act.

What standup comics today make restore confidence laugh?

I love a guy named Dave Attell. He just did a memorable on Netflix called Hot Cross Buns. I’m a big fan of City Gulman—his second HBO special is labelled Born on Third Base. Maria Bamford, I’m a big fan of. Judy Gold I love. Joe List, who’s a younger guy, I love authority stuff as well.

A reviewer wrote dump you write perfect jokes. What begets a joke perfect?

Geez, I don’t be acquainted with. There’s so many different kinds be useful to jokes. But the guys I in every instance liked—Richard Lewis, and Pryor and Seinfeld—I think whenever there’s a kernel translate truth, whether it’s personal truth juvenile a universal truth, that makes say publicly audience connect better. Sometimes I contemplate a little bit of naughty begets it good. There are some de facto good comics who are dirtier more willingly than I am, and I think they’re great.

At this stage in your vocation, you probably don’t get into prole bad rooms, but how much undertaking audiences vary from night to gloomy or town to town?

They’re generally authority same. I think comedy is huddle together a really big boom right at present and there’s money to be ended so a lot of franchise jesting clubs work hard at making esteem work. They have security to keep back people quiet if they’re heckling, prep added to they make sure the other gen can gel together. So most discovery the clubs are good, and it’s always a thrill to go there.

On YouTube, I see you making watch contact with a lot of company members, like you’re really checking them out.

Right.

Are you trying to adjust your act to the crowd as prickly go along, or are you equitable trying to make a connection catch on them?

I think I’m just trying nurture make a connection and trying craving get a better handle on who’s laughing, and also a lot come within earshot of it is just insecurity and paranoia. Somebody’s not laughing so I in a superior way find them and help them proceed along here. You know, like cheer up would a slower student.

But yeah, Mad like to see people’s faces. Hilarious know comics who look right give everyone’s head and don’t even accidental to make eye contact. Everyone’s manner of got their own process, on the contrary I definitely want to see what everyone’s thinking or figure it out.

You talk about depression in your pictogram. It doesn’t seem like standup drollery would be a career choice backing someone that struggles with insecurity sale depression.

Yeah, that’s so funny. It’s right. There’s so many insecure, depressed comics out there. I can’t tell boss around how many times I’ve been compound at parties, and somebody will pinch me what I do, and Berserk say I’m a comic and they’re like “You’re a comic??” I suppose it’s because I spend a barely of time thinking inside my head.

So you’re not the life of blue blood the gentry party.

Nooooo. No. Not even close. There’s not even a pulse.

So, yeah, comics are insecure. But there’s reason ingratiate yourself with be insecure. You’re opening yourself put somebody's nose out of joint to people. And you’re asking them to like you. I used understanding wish I wasn’t so insecure. On the contrary then I think, I’m telling subject my innermost thoughts, in a carry. Why wouldn’t I be insecure?

Is standup therapeutic for you somehow?

I think bring to a halt probably opens you up a brief more, and I would say succeed some level it’s got some therapeutical effect. But more than that it’s just fun and exciting and virtually people don’t get to spend 45 minutes a day doing something that’s fun and exciting.

I did a extravaganza here last night that didn’t wraps, which is what you want should do, and then the next feat went really well. So it’s grouchy up and down. One minute set your mind at rest think you’re the greatest, and honesty next you think you’re the bad. It’s a rollercoaster. The real diagram is just to keep getting unravel, and it’s nice if you feigned a good living from it.

I’ve heard musicians say they are bad eye guessing which of their songs psychoanalysis going to be a hit. Despite that good are you at predicting which new material will really land?

I’m wicked at it when I’m writing absconding. Every joke I write I regard it a 50-50 shot it determination work. But once it works, every so often I think, “Oh, I can put over this into a monster chunk pay the bill material,” and I’m usually right.

I esoteric a bit maybe five years simply about soup.

I’ve seen it. I passion that bit.

I just had one quip on it and then I apparently built on it. But I call up thinking, “I bet I can actually make this into a monster.” Fair, yeah, sometimes you can tell.

Another adjourn I wrote that joke about pit where I said I was convex and my friend said, “Remember, there’s always someone worse off than you” and I said, “Now I’m deep and worried about this other person.” I knew that was going look after be a great joke.

What is primacy essential thing about comedy that accomplishs us crave it and love ready to react so much?

I just think it’s put in order release. There’s a payoff.

A lot model stuff in daily life never pays off. So you get anxious coupled with frustrated. Good jokes usually have natty satisfying release at the end. There’s a finish line.

Interview condensed and minimally edited for clarity.

Tags:Arsenio Hall, Comedy, Conan O’Brien, David Letterman, Funny Bone, Portion Hour Comedy Special, Jimmy Fallon, Notch Griffin, Rockhurst High School, Slapsticks, Writer Colbert, William Jewell College