As part of We Own The Laughs.com’s Comedian of the Day, have a few laughs and get to know comedian Josh Means. The Sacramento, CA native shares some of his favorite moments in stand-up comedy and lets us know how he always own the laughs.
Name: Josh Means
Hometown: Sacramento, CA
Instagram/Twitter/Facebook/Snapchat/Tik-Tok: @jmeanz
Years in Comedy: 6.5
Haven’t we seen you somewhere before: First special coming this year!
Comedic Influences: Patrice O’Neal, Dave Attell, Louis CK, Bill Burr, Kevin Hart and Dave Chappelle
Favorite Comedy Album: Patrice O’Neal “Elephant in the Room”
Favorite Comedy Special: Shane Gillis “Live in Austin”
Favorite Comedy TV Show: The Simpsons
Favorite City to Perform In: New York
Favorite Topics to Joke About: Controversial topics
Favorite Type of Audience for a Comedy Show: One that’s paying attention! Also really like when an audience is willing to laugh at something they don’t fundamentally agree with.
Favorite Comedy Club: Laughs Unlimited
How did you discover your passion for comedy:
As a kid, my favorite movies were always comedy movies, like Happy Gilmore and Big Daddy. But when I realized I had a passion for making people laugh was in middle school and high school hanging out with my groups of friends constantly laughing and having a good time.
What do you remember most about your first time performing stand-up comedy:
I remember an hour before sign ups started I got on top of my couch and bombed my set to two of my friends. It had me nervous that’s what would happen on stage, but also helped relieve some stress because it was like, “I already did that once tonight my stomach can’t get MORE upset”. Then as soon as I got off stage that night the host invited me back to the next showcase they were doing.
How would you describe your comedic style:
Dark-adjacent? I don’t know how to describe it. A lot of people will say I’m a roast comic because I run roast battles and like to make fun of people/events, but I think my stand-up comedy is different from my roast comedy.
Describe your process for comedic writing:
I’m all over the place. When something happens in the news that I feel like I have to talk about, I’ll just force myself to start writing. I’ll list out every thing that I think could be funny about it, as well as things that relate to the person or idea. Then try to find ways to piece everything together and find punchlines. I’ll also talk it out in my car or in the shower and come up with whatever I think is the best ange. Then I’ll take it to the stage and forget half the tags but also come up with some new ones on stage.
For roasts or roast battles, I make a list of everything I know about the person as well as notable features. Then I try to see what goes together and hit em where it hurts.
Describe the comedy scene in your area:
Underrated and supportive. I’m from Sacramento, which has seen a lot of comics from our area going on to do bigger and better things. But the majority of comics that are still in town are hard-working, kind/helpful and most importantly funny. Some suck though and that’s fun too.
How do you judge success in the world of comedy:
It depends. There’s so many different levels of success. To me, selling tickets and constantly killing on stage are what make you a successful comic.
Who are some of your comedic peers that you enjoy watching perform or inspire you personally and professionally:
Robert Omoto, Carlos Rodriguez, Mike E Winfield, & Chelsea Bearce
What’s been your most memorable moment in comedy:
Performing at The Comedy Store, performing at Skankfest and meeting Dave Attell
What have you learned most from your failures in comedy:
To just keep trying. You’re going to fail a ton, the ones that get better are the ones who keep getting up and keep getting experience on stage.
How do people react towards you when they realize that you can make people laugh:
It’s basically a long in-person interview with a lot of these same questions, but also adding “tell me a joke”
Describe building a career in stand-up comedy:
It’s like building a sandcastle, you form together a nice 5 minutes which is just one bucket full of sand to go in the castle. Then you keep building and eventually you have a whole castle that ends up getting wiped away by a big wave. But at least now you know how to make the castle. Also I hate the beach.
Best advice you’ve ever received from a comedian:
“If you need stage time, start running your own shows”
If you were releasing a comedy special this week, what would it be called:
I AM releasing a comedy special very soon, it’ll be called “Josh Means Business”
Funniest encounter you’ve ever had with a celebrity:
I’ve ran into Chris Brown twice and both times we’re at Disneyland.
Weirdest place you’ve ever performed any form of comedy:
A salon and in the middle of a restaurant to only one table, not the entire restaurant.
Where would you like your laughs to take you:
To be able to travel the road, selling tickets and headlining weekends across the country.
What would you tell a potential comedian if they ask you how they can own the laughs:
Own yourself. If you’re wanting to do comedy because you’re funny, be yourself and stay true to that. Don’t try to imitate other comics and their style. Do your own thing and carve your own lane.
What are your thoughts on the future of comedy:
I think comedy is in a weird place right now. It’s obviously incredible that you can upload a clip to social media and people from anywhere can find it and see your joke or become a fan etc. However I also think too many people try to police comedians and what they can or can’t say when the reality is everything we do up there is just trying to be funny. I hope it continues to trend upward and that people are more open to hearing things that may not be what they align with.
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 be Friends and it would be “The one with a non white friend”
If you could choose 1 comedy club and 3 comedians to perform with on your perfect comedy show, how would it go:
This is a random ass show, but it would be at the Comedy Cellar. Big Jay Oakerson would host, Sam Morrill or Mark Normand would go next, I’d try to follow them cause I love a challenge and also don’t like going early. Then Louis CK would close it out.
What’s next for you:
Continue building my Roast Battle Bay Area show, which started out as a small show every 3 months at Blacktop Comedy in Rocklin (RIP). Since then we expanded to multiple cities and incredible venues such as Punch Line Sacramento, and Cobb’s in San Francisco. We also combined with the Roast Battle guys from the Comedy Store in LA to form our own region as part of the Roast Battle League that includes cities from all over the world.
Why should a person always laugh at life:
Laughter is the best medicine, and that’s a lot better to OD on than painkillers.
Follow Josh Means comedic journey on these social media websites:
Instagram/Twitter/Facebook/Snapchat/Tik-Tok: Josh Means
Youtube: Josh Means
Personal Website: Josh Means
