As part of We Own The Laughs.com’s Comedian of the Day, have a few laughs and get to know comedian Rocky Powell. The Queens, NY native shares some of their favorite moments in stand-up comedy and lets us know how they always own the laughs.
Name: Rocky Powell
Hometown: West Haven, CT // Queens, NY
Instagram/Twitter/Facebook/Snapchat/Tik-Tok: @rockiixbalboa (insta) @rockiibalboa (twitter) @wildnightswithrocky (TikTok)
Years in Comedy: 11
Haven’t we seen you somewhere before: Currently the host of the comedy podcast Wild Nights with Rocky Powell. Entertainers reliving their wildest nights, one episode at a time!
Comedic Influences: Anna Faris, Tiffany Haddish, Steve Harvey, Dave Chappelle, Issa Rae, Iliza, Whitney Cummings, Kaitlin Olsen, Melissa Villasenor, Cecily Strong, & Nikki Glaser.
Favorite Comedy Album: Dave Chappelle “Killin’ Them Softly”
Favorite Comedy Special: Elder Millennial
Favorite Comedy Movie: My Cousin Vinny
Favorite Comedy TV Show: Curb Your Enthusiasm & Always Sunny In Philadelphia
Favorite Comedic Character: Richard Lewis
Favorite City to Perform In: New York City Baby!
Favorite Topics to Joke About: Whatever’s trending, being in your 30’s, the mundane, and the people I love.
Favorite Type of Audience for a Comedy Show: I’m an improviser, and I find the best audiences are ones that are excited to be there! They came to see a funny show and they are rooting for the players on stage to win & wow them!
Favorite Comedy Club: The Stand.
How did you discover your passion for comedy:
I always knew that laughing was the absolute best, but I became passionate about it when I started taking improv classes in January 2011.
What do you remember most about your first time performing stand-up comedy:
I’m not a stand-up. I often get looped into that category because I’m a comedy writer and the style of my podcast. I interview stand-ups on a regular basis, however. I’m more Howard Stern than Howie Mandel ya dig? The first time I performed improv though, I thought to myself “Damn. This is shit isn’t as easy as they make it look!”
How would you describe your comedic style:
A little raunchy, a little cutesy, a little edgy, always real.
Describe your process for comedic writing:
Every week for my podcast I write an opening. The opening is either a poem, jingle, or song, some sort of relevant countdown or a wild night story from my own life. After that, I go into the segment The Rocky Rundown, where I talk about the events of the world, and my world from the past week. When I think of something funny throughout the week I’ll text myself a reminder. As for the poems, songs, and jingles, when they hit me I’ll record a voice memo otherwise the beat will completely fall out of my head never to be heard again. I wrote an entire poem about my boobs yesterday while showering and didn’t memo it when I got out. Now I don’t remember one word of it other than “titties!” On Sundays, which is the day before my podcast episode comes out, I sit down with my notes, a coffee, some incense, a joint to last me the day, and I write the intro. Timing-wise once it’s recorded, usually runs me anywhere from 8 – 15 minutes.
Describe the comedy scene in your area:
Broad and small all at once! The improv scene has a steady heartbeat with different improv theaters performing regularly. They are pocketed around the city. I’m a member of The Armory and an Alumni of The PIT. The stand-up scene is a beautiful thing right now in NYC. Because of the pandemic, stand-up comedians have started producing more regular shows than ever. Watching them lift each other up and weave in, out, and around the scene has only made for funnier shows and better comedy all around! I try to get to stand-up shows at least once a month. Usually to support past guests of mine, sometimes just to support a friend who’s hilarious, sometimes to see a celebrity comic in action. At shows, I always find a guest I wasn’t expecting to come on Wild Nights!
How do you judge success in the world of comedy:
While other comedians enjoy watching or listening. Comics are tough critics. Success isn’t always money, success can be the love and respect of your hilarious peers as well.
Who are some of your comedic peers that you enjoy watching perform or inspire you personally and professionally:
Meghan O’Malley. NYC stand-up who hustles hard is kind, hilarious, produces a couple of different shows that any comic would be HAPPY to be on. She’s constantly evolving with the times. Langston Belton. Langston is hands down one of the strongest improvisers NYC has ever seen. Yes, he’s handsome, was off-broadway, is well-liked by his comedy community, works for MARVEL (ever heard of it?) but all that aside his technicality and commitment as an improvisational actor are UNMATCHED! Anyone in the improv scene knows and respects Langston Belton. He’s a comedian not soon to be forgotten. Caleigh Lozito & Tina Vlamis. Caleighs in the off-broadway production of The Office the Musical, and Tina is hella TikTok famous for hilarious content. These two are unstoppable. They host the comedy podcast Underrated and they soon won’t be underrated, I assure you! Lastly, my brother Howard Powell. He is an actor, stand-up, improviser, sketch writer, and model. He makes me laugh harder than anyone and is someone I constantly trust to help to punch up my writing. He tours and teaches improv, and was recently in the movie The Binge on HULU alongside Vince Vaughn. What’s exciting about him is he’s already super funny and he’s just starting out!
What’s been your most memorable moment in comedy:
I was on a long-running improv team named Hero Complex. We used to get hired to perform at WCSU and they would treat us like rockstars whenever we would come there. The shows would always crush. It was a really fun point in life!
What have you learned most from your failures in comedy:
You cannot be successful in comedy without failure. Failure is an opportunity to grow and evolve. (I love evolution if you couldn’t tell) Failure also doesn’t mean you’re bad, or unfunny always either. Sometimes it just means you gotta try a different puzzle piece.
How do people react towards you when they realize that you can make people laugh:
Depends on the person. If it’s someone platonic I think I make them feel safe, or maybe give them the courage to let their guard down a little. If it’s a dude who wants to sleep with me it can go one of three ways. He’ll try to one-up me, he’ll try to avoid comedy conversation altogether, or he’ll embrace and buy a ticket to take the ride! (Those are little more few and far between)
Describe what it’s been like building a career in stand-up comedy:
Very hard. But rewarding when I get the little wins, and I can feel the momentum building the harder I work. That shit feels validating.
If you could change one thing in the world of comedy, what would it be:
More job opportunities at a lower scale. Starter jobs if you will. Wouldn’t it be nice if our 9 – 5s were also something that kept you sharp in the world of comedy? I don’t know…
Best advice you’ve ever received from a comedian:
The audience can never have more fun than you, so always make sure you’re having the best time up there!
If you were releasing a comedy special this week, what would it be called:
I am! It’s called Wild Nights with Rocky Powell and it comes out fresh every Monday baby! Pop in those AirPods, and upgrade to Spotify premium ya cheap bastit.
Funniest encounter you’ve ever had with a celebrity:
I drunkenly interrupted Jeff Ross at a holiday party once thinkin’ ya girl was cute in my early 20’s. It ended up being super awkward when he called me out for being rude. I’ve never inserted myself in a conversation like that again. Well, at least not with a celebrity. He ended up being super cool afterward so no harm no foul and a solid life lesson.
Weirdest place you’ve ever performed any form of comedy:
Your standard underground dive bars. Nothing too weird but the night is young!
A Rocky Powell Fun Fact:
I convinced all the girls in my 5th-grade class to dig a hole every day during recess so we could get to China. After about a month and a really big hole later, we got in trouble and they sold me out as the ringleader. GuiLtTtTtYyYy!
Where would you like your laughs to take you:
I want to keep interviewing people I find hilarious and interesting. I aim to be the kind of host and have the kind of show where people in entertainment are eager to be a guest! I want to have a direct line to the funniest people alive. Also, to keep writing the things I think are funny. It’s super cathartic, and I make myself laugh often.
What would you tell a potential comedian if they ask you how they can own the laughs:
Be bold! If you’re writing never say “ugh this is stupid.” Even if you judge what you are thinking and get embarrassed to write it down DON’T BE! When you write down the thought or idea if you’ve just judged, that helps to get it out of your mind and makes way for the gold to come pouring out. It was a hard thing to get past, judging my writing. Ultimately it was the best thing I could’ve done for my creativity.
What are your thoughts on the future of comedy:
I think comedy has a really exciting future. I’m excited to watch it keep having more lanes, and more delicious content to enjoy!
If you could write one episode for one classic TV sitcom which show would it be and give a brief detailed sentence on the episode:
It would have to be the GOAT, Always Sunny. They’ve played with claymation and cartoons before, but I’d love to see “The Gang Does Shrooms” where they take shrooms and end up looking like Pixar characters the whole episode. They’ll have this really prolific experience, and then they spend the day as kind people. But their version of kind people would be very similar to Jack Skelington’s version of Christmas. A little creepy, and just misses the mark. How bout that Nightmare Before Christmas deep cut, huh?
If you could choose 1 comedy club and 3 comedians to perform with on your perfect comedy show, how would it go:
I would have to choose The Armory as it’s my homebase theater. And not a hard choice at all! I’d share the stage with Isabelle Owens, Lorraine Cink, & Beth White. Three of the funniest women I’ve ever known and my improv sistas foreva-evaa!
What’s next for you:
More episodes of Wild Nights with Rocky Powell! I have so many absolutely FANTASTIC guests lined up for season 2! I couldn’t be happier!
Why should a person always laugh at life:
Because laughing builds strong connections, a lot of the time it’s free, it raises the vibration of the planet, and damn does it feel good!
Follow Rocky Powell comedic journey on these social media websites:
Instagram/Twitter/Facebook/Snapchat/Tik-Tok: @rockiixbalboa
Youtube: Rocky Powell
