In life, people always tell you to hope for the best but expect the worst. For this guy, hoping for the best is the reason why he is one of the best young comedians on the west coast. As part of We Own The Laughs.com’s Comedian of the Day, have a few laughs and get to know comedian Alfred Konuwa. The Chico, CA native shares with us some of his favorite moments in stand-up comedy and why he owns the laughs.
Name: Alfred Konuwa
Hometown: Chico, CA/Hawthorne, CA
Instagram/Twitter/Facebook/Snapchat/Tik-Tok: @akonuwa/@ThisIsNasty/@blackhurstproductions
Years in Comedy: 5
Haven’t we seen you somewhere before: SPRYNG Commercial/NPR
Comedic Influences: Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle, Louis C.K., & Norm Macdonald
Favorite Comedy Album: Chris Rock “Bigger and Blacker”
Favorite Comedy Special: Dave Chappelle “The Bird Revelation”
Favorite Comedy Movie: Dumb & Dumber
Favorite Comedy TV Show: The Larry Sanders Show
Favorite Comedic Character: Hank Kingsley
Favorite City to Perform In: Koreatown (Los Angeles), CA
Favorite Topics to Joke About: Race, Family, and Absurdity
Favorite Type of Audience for a Comedy Show: I love mixed crowds where the people look like they would never hang out if they weren’t at a comedy show together. If I ever go into a room and notice that most of the audience has something in common, I get a little nervous that they’re more prone to turn on me in unison, which is really an irrational fear but it’s still there.
Favorite Comedy Club: The Comedy Palace in San Diego, CA
How did you discover your passion for comedy:
I used to write monologue-style jokes for a web series I was doing with Bleacher Report. When the web series ended, I still wrote jokes every day and they slowly evolved from topical, monologue-style to more personal jokes about me and my life. Eventually, I realized that maybe I should start performing the jokes onstage. The first time I ever performed was at The Comedy Store on a Sunday night open mic. I bombed horribly, but I’ve never felt so alive and I knew immediately I was going to be doing this for the rest of my life. Such is the masochistic comedian mindset where we could essentially jump out of a plane, break all our bones, and while we’re in the hospital bed we say “as soon as I heal up, I’m getting back on that plane.”
What do you remember most about your first time performing stand-up comedy:
Definitely not the jokes I was supposed to perform because I went blank after my first joke bombed. In fact, I specifically remember a bald man in the front row who went “UGH!” when I made a hacky joke about The Buffalo Bills. Then I remember getting the light and it was so loud because nobody was laughing.
How would you describe your comedic style:
High-energy, somewhat ironic, and a juxtaposition of Happy-Go-Lucky and dark.
Describe your process for comedic writing:
I walk around my house and talk to myself. I used to wear a FitBit and I would get 10,000 steps just by walking around my bedroom talking to myself (telling stories, voicing my thoughts about certain issues, etc.) Whenever I stumble on something I think is worthwhile I’ll jot down the main talking points and try them out onstage. I don’t like writing jokes and memorizing them because I did that early in my career and when I would listen to it back it always sounded to me like I was reading them to the audience. So I try to make it sound as natural as possible and then write it exactly as I performed it. I only write jokes down as a safeguard and for times where I may forget them and need to reference them, like if the world shuts down and I’ll need to re-learn how to tell these jokes once the vaccines come through. Hypothetically speaking, of course.
Describe the comedy scene in your area:
The LA Comedy scene (pre-COVID) was booming and the open mic scene had really blossomed. Many of the mics had adopted the “Slotted” formula where you can sign up online. Specifically, I live in the South Bay around the westside, which has a strong comedy scene of its own. Places like the Fanatic Salon, the Westside Comedy Theater, The J-Spot, and The Cinema Bar make the west side a very underrated comedy bubble.
How do you judge success in the world of comedy:
If you can do stand-up comedy full time with no day job. That’s my ultimate goal.
Who are some of your comedic peers that you enjoy watching perform or inspire you personally and professionally:
Felicia Folkes, Opey, Keith Carey, & Hugo Galaxy
What’s been your most memorable moment in comedy:
Making it to the Quarterfinals of the World Series of Comedy. I took a bus to go to Vegas and did not logistically plan to be there any longer than one day. I had to keep re-booking my travel because I’d advance and I couldn’t believe it. It was such a great feeling. Also, this one time I was doing an open mic in a storage bin, and a homeless man walked into the room, sat in the front row, and heckled me. I spent the rest of the set convincing the crowd that it was my stepdad and they loved it. This was early in my stand-up career where I would typically try to steamroll hecklers by talking over them, but this was one of the first times I engaged and just dropped what I had planned in order to deal with the heckler. It made me feel like a real comic.
What have you learned most from your failures in comedy:
I didn’t die of embarrassment like I thought I might, so maybe I’m invincible. In that case, fuck it, now I can take even bigger risks if those failures didn’t kill me.
How do people react towards you when they realize that you can make people laugh:
It really seems to be effective with single women, particularly on the Hinge dating app.
Describe what it’s been like building a career in stand-up comedy:
Fantastic! I’ve never really considered it building a career, I just know that it takes a long time, and a lot of failures, to make a great comic so once I decided. I was in it for the long haul it’s taught me to be patient and appreciate the journey. Every year my goals get more and more ambitious. Hell, I just started Year 5 and now I have a vision board.
If you could change one thing in the world of comedy, what would it be:
There would be zero stigmas about taking a comedy class. I’ve never taken a comedy class in my life because I have the same bias against them that most comics do. I truly do believe that most great comics, if not all, just have that greatness within them and it cannot be taught to just anybody. Having said that, the people who would benefit the most from these comedy classes are comedians who need a little more polishing, and if there was no stigma about comedy classes it would add structure to stand-up in addition to increasing the quality all around.
Best advice you’ve ever received from a comedian:
When you start working the club circuit, treat the wait staff like royalty. Being an asshole to the wait staff can and will burn some of the most important bridges you could ever build in stand-up.
If you were releasing a comedy special this week, what would it be called:
It’s a tie between “Sophie’s Baby” and “Jump The Roof”
Funniest encounter you’ve ever had with a celebrity:
F*ck Drew Carey! & click here to see why
Weirdest place you’ve ever performed any form of comedy:
An Elk’s Lodge. One of the only times I texted my parents I loved them before I went onstage.
An Alfred Konuwa Fun Fact:
I write about professional wrestling for Forbes.
Where would you like your laughs to take you:
I’d like to be a full-time stand-up comedian and maybe host a game show. Preferably, I’d like to revive Baggage, which was once hosted by Jerry Springer. Have you seen Baggage? It’s fantastic!
What would you tell a potential comedian if they ask you how they can own the laughs:
Embrace silence. Dictate the pace, whatever that pace may be. If the joke is solid, they’ll more than likely come around even if it starts off rough.
What are your thoughts on the future of comedy:
I think the future of comedy is very promising. Unfortunately, I think the latest boom period was cut short by COVID and it will take a few years before it is as hot as I felt it was pre-COVID. Still, with so many content providers and ways to create your own content, there are fewer barriers to entry than ever, and the gatekeepers no longer hand-pick who gets to be famous. This is great news for creators and comedy at large.
If you could write one episode for one classic TV sitcom which show would be and give a brief detailed sentence on the episode:
Curb Your Enthusiasm, where Larry David begins dating Cardi B.
If you could choose 1 comedy club and 3 comedians to perform with on your perfect comedy show, how would it go:
The Helium Comedy Club featuring Hannibal Burress, Demitri Martin, Me, and Norm MacDonald. At the end of the show. I would bring up Eddie Murphy in his first live stand-up appearance in over three decades.
Why should a person always laugh at life:
Because I get really uncomfortable when people cry around me.
Watch Alfred Konuwa at The Comedy Palace in San Diego, CA
Follow Alfred Konuwa on all forms of social media:
Instagram: @akonuwa Twitter: @ThisIsNasty
Tik-Tok: @blackhurstproductions Personal Website: Alfred Konuwa
