As part of We Own The Laughs.com’s Comedian of the Day, have a few laughs and get to know comedian Wyatt Feegrado. The Walnut Creek, CA native shares some of his favorite moments in stand-up comedy and lets us know how he always own the laughs.
Name: Wyatt Feegrado
Hometown: Walnut Creek, CA
Instagram/Twitter/Facebook/Snapchat/Tik-Tok: @wyattfeegrado
Years in Comedy: Almost 7 years
Comedic Influences:
Steven Wright, Dave Chappelle, Louie CK, Paul Mooney, Dave Attell, Jessica Kirson, Emo Phillips, Anthony Jeselnik, Patrice O’Neal, & Bill Burr
Favorite Comedy Album: Dave Attell “Skanks for the Memories”
Favorite Comedy Special: Dave Chappelle “Killin Em Softly”
Favorite Comedy Movie: The Room
Favorite Comedy TV Show: Nathan for You
Favorite Comedic Character: Any Sacha Baron Cohen
Favorite City to Perform In: San Francisco, CA
Favorite Topics to Joke About: Anything controversial
Favorite Type of Audience for a Comedy Show: An audience that pays attention well
Favorite Comedy Club: The Comedy Cellar
How did you discover your passion for comedy:
When I was about 10, I began listening to standup heavily on Pandora. I watched Aziz Ansari, Nick Swardson, Daniel Tosh, and anyone else who the algorithmic radio played. One day, I was perhaps 12, I stumbled upon Dave Chappelle: Killin Em Softly. That’s when I realized standup could be more than I had previously thought. It could be high art.
What do you remember most about your first time performing stand-up comedy:
I was 16 years old at Tommy T’s in Pleasanton California. I had snuck out of my parents house to go to my first open mic. I was given 5 minutes, and I performed maybe 3. I did maybe 20 one-liner jokes in 3 minutes. I went way too fast. I sucked. Like it was REALLY BAD. I did another open mic soon after that — I didn’t care that I sucked — I already knew what I wanted to do with my life.
How would you describe your comedic style:
I always find this a difficult question. I would say I borrow heavily from Paul Mooney with the positions I will take on the topics I choose to write jokes about. Bit-writing wise, I pull the most from Dave Chappelle and Louie CK to derive the structure of my bits. A ton of influence from Dave Attell, Steven Wright, and Anthony Jeselnik is found in my punchline writing.
Describe your process for comedic writing:
I never write. I find it’s difficult to ask creativity to arrive when you want it to. Creativity arises. when you need it to. I study jokes, I try to learn joke structures and types from everyone in our genre, but when it comes to Punchlines and Premises, nothing beats on the spot, on the stage with the lights on you, in conversation and you want to impress, flirting and you need a quick line — THAT is when my creativity arrives.
Describe the comedy scene in your area:
Luckily, I’m not in just one scene anymore! I can tour which is nice. But coming up in San Francisco the scene was very supportive, moderately cliquey, and had a relatively low ceiling. In New York, the level was high, the scene was competitive, and Marvel Movies and selling out Arenas is the ceiling.
How do you judge success in the world of comedy:
Everyone should define success for themselves. For myself, someone who truly expand the art form is a success. I was very lucky, I grew up relatively comfortable. This is probably why I’m privileged enough to not use money as a definition of success. Steven Wright is a success — he is the Picasso of standup comedy, completely different from what came before him, and unable to be replicated to this day. He is the modern art of comedy. He’s not rich, he’s no longer famous, but he is a genius and his influence will be passed down.
Who are some of your comedic peers that you enjoy watching perform or inspire you personally and professionally:
Luke Abranches. How can I not say that?
What’s been your most memorable moment in comedy:
Taping my first special for TV. I got to spend that weekend looking back at my childhood and feeling like I did everything I ever dreamed of. Of course, that was a short-lived feeling. There is a lot more on my checklist.
What have you learned most from your failures in comedy:
What I’ve learned is the most important thing this industry teaches you is how to believe in yourself when absolutely no one else believes in you. This is what is absolutely crucial. If I ever had to give a speech to a bunch of kids that said they wanted to become comedians, I’d tell them not to try because they have no chance. It’s not that I believe that. It’s just that I think if THEY believe it, just because I said it — they’re not going to survive this jungle.
How do people react towards you when they realize that you can make people laugh:
At first people like it, but the people in my life for a while end up like “oh my god we get it! Stop please” eventually.
Describe what it’s been like building a career in stand-up comedy:
Building a career in standup is like building a bridge in the dark. Standup is so nebulous to navigate. There’s no formalized training, no union or website to contact bookers, no hard roadmap on how to “make it.” Again, like I said, constant self-belief is crucial and there are good people in every scene who really do want to see you thrive.
If you could change one thing in the world of comedy, what would it be:
Again, some sort of infrastructure for comedy. Us comedians need to unionize, we’re being underpaid. Standup is in demand, we have a lot more leverage than we think. Also, us comedians need to develop a formalized education for standup, it is the first step catapulting comedy as a form to the next level. Just as the sciences get pushed forward with the transcription of acquired knowledge for the masses, so do the arts. I think joke-writing as an art form is equivalent to poetry and could be taught in our schools.
Best advice you’ve ever received from a comedian:
The best advice I ever got was all the skepticism towards me ever being successful or good as a comedian. It was people in high school telling me I wasn’t funny and the people on my YouTube channel who would beg me to quit. To this day, people hate on me on Reddit, Instagram, Tiktok, and every other platform, and I don’t feel anything. I know in my bones who I am and I don’t waver in it or care what others think. I’ve made it very far on actualizing my dream, I would never doubt myself now. That took time to learn.
If you were releasing a comedy special this week, what would it be called:
My special does come out this month!! December 29th. Wyatt Feegrado: De-Assimilate.
BUT! That’s a cop out.
Next one will be called:
Wyatt Feegrado: Regicide.
Funniest encounter you’ve ever had with a celebrity:
One time Jim Gaffigan dropped in on a show that I was on and did 15 straight minutes about the names of each Tsar in Russian history. The crowd did not like it.
Weirdest place you’ve ever performed any form of comedy:
I have performed comedy for a cult before. I will not name names, because they still contact me creepily, but that was SCARY. I dipped right after my set. Honestly I shouldn’t share details, but they sent women to try to seduce me and bring women into the church. Also they never paid me but to be fair I ran away.
A Wyatt Feegrado Fun Fact:
Feegrado is a stage name. It is my mother’s maiden name. I took it when beginning standup because I was 16 and didn’t want my friends to be able to find me easily! I chose my mother’s last name because I think it’s wrong we don’t take our mother’s last names. Also, my real name, Abranches, is a colonized name from the Portuguese. Also Feegrado is also colonized, (hard to avoid that in India) it was originally Figuerado and was re-Indianized to Feegrado, so I find it a bit preferable. Also! I’m the only male Feegrado alive other than my Grandfather with the name, so I’d like to carry the name on.
Where would you like your laughs to take you:
This is corny, and every Gen Zer says this, but I’d like to be the GOAT. I’d like to push the artform forward and help create the formalized education I spoke earlier about. Take standup even more worldwide.
What would you tell a potential comedian if they ask you how they can own the laughs:
“You can’t teach funny” is bullshit.
What are your thoughts on the future of comedy:
Comedy after Seinfeld was all over America. After streaming services it is a mainstream art form. I think the ceiling is for standup is to be as important and ubiquitous of an artform as music.
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:
Sitcom I’m not sure but if I could go back in time I’d be in the Chappelle Show writers room.
If you could choose 1 comedy club and 3 comedians to perform with on your perfect comedy show, how would it go:
Obviously sharing the stage with my brother Luke Abranches is always a dream come true, so I choose him, Steven Wright and Dave Chappelle. Those two were my first loves.
What’s next for you:
I have my Special coming out this month, then I’m touring in India and when I come back I tour on the Eastern United States.
Why should a person always laugh at life:
Man, everytime you meet someone who doesn’t take themself too seriously it’s hard to hate them.
Follow Wyatt Feegrado’s comedic journey on these social media websites:
Instagram/Twitter/Facebook/Snapchat/Tik-Tok: Wyatt Feegrado
Personal Website: Wyatt Feegrado
