A producer of Don’t Tell Comedy in The Windy City, she recently filmed an unbelievable set for Cracked.com and is currently working on a new hour for the Edinburgh Festival in 2025. As part of We Own The Laughs.com’s Comedian of the Day, have a few laughs and get to know comedian Carly Ballerini. The Chicago, IL native shares some of her favorite moments in stand-up comedy and explains how she always owns the laughs.
Name: Carly Ballerini
Hometown: Chicago, IL
Instagram/Twitter/Facebook/Snapchat/Tik-Tok: @carly_ballerini
Years in Comedy: Active-7 Started 9 years ago and took a break
Comedic Influences: Maria Bamford, Patton Oswalt, Kyle Kinane, Nate Bargatze, Eddie Peppitone, David Drake, Cameron Gillette, Kathlene Madigan, Tig Notaro, Wanda Sykes, & Beth Stelling
Favorite Comedy Album: David Drake “Oh No!” & Kathlene Madigan “Bothering Jesus” & “Talking For Clapping”
Favorite Comedy Special: Wanda Sykes “Both of ‘Em”
Favorite Comedy Movie: “She Devil” with Meryl Streep
Favorite Comedy TV Show: “I Love That For You” is SO underrated
Favorite Comedic Character: Madeline Ashton
Favorite City to Perform In: Madison, WI or Denver, CO
Favorite Topics to Joke About: I like talking about people.
Favorite Type of Audience for a Comedy Show: I love a smart, confident and respectful audience. New York is good for that. College town audiences are that way and blue dot cities in red states. I like it when people aren’t self-conscious about really laughing and just let fucking loose. It’s the best.
Favorite Comedy Club: Comedy On State
How did you discover your passion for comedy:
My family is Italian and they’re great storytellers so when I saw comedy on television I was like, yeah, this is what we do at dinner! It just make sense but I didn’t try it until I was 30 and I was like, having panic attacks all the time. It was a way to get ahead of the fear and telling my version of the truth on stage was terrifying so I thought I’d start there and then I just kinda stayed.
What do you remember most about your first time performing stand-up comedy:
I went up and I had this premise about some slutty cat that would hang out by my apartment. It was a very dumb thing but from the audience a comic who later became a friend, Rena Calm said “good writing” under her breath and I was like- ooh I could do WAY better than that!
How would you describe your comedic style:
Very conversational. I’m not into classic comedy rhythm because I find it stressful so I just kinda talk through to punchlines I guess. It’s mostly stories.
Describe your process for comedic writing:
Generally I think about something that made me feel some intense emotion like anger, sadness, elation, etc and then I try to describe what happened- what was that moment like for me, what made me feel so hot etc.
Describe the comedy scene in your area:
Chicago is just full of killers and because there’s no industry I think everyone is allowed to stretch and grow. It’s such a good place to come up. It’s like graduate school for comedy. Like, you just advance because everyone around you is better than you but no one’s really competing for jobs, they’re just exploring and trying to make each other laugh.
How do you judge success in the world of comedy:
I think it’s different post pandemic and it’s very contingent on followers and online notoriety but to me, success is putting out a fantastic album and being able to make a comfortable living. Fame is just kind of a crapshoot but I think being REALLY funny and not getting swept away by capitalism and survival is great and the rest is extra.
Who are some of your comedic peers that you enjoy watching perform or inspire you personally and professionally:
There are so many! It’s a comedic renaissance and everyone is so good now. My favorite people to watch are Cameron Gillette, David Drake, Joey Bednarski, Megan Stalter, Bobby Condon, Alex Collyard, Jake Noll, Carly Kane, & Marcello Hernandez.
What’s been your most memorable moment in comedy:
I did this festival with a few thousand people and Atsuko and Kinane were on the lineup and I was just really happy to be there. I think it was the first time I had performed for that many people and I remember being on stage and noticing how the laughs sort of roll in slower than in a smaller room so you have to kinda talk slower and wait for everyone to chill out before moving to the next line. I thought that was really cool.
What have you learned most from your failures in comedy:
I think bombing gracefully is the most skilled thing a person can do in life. In general, when you’re bombing giggling at the absurdity of it, I think that’s the best you’ll ever be as a performer.
How do people react toward you when they realize that you can make people laugh:
It’s this fun moment especially when you’re on a lineup and no one knows you. I love surprising people and then having this good will for the rest of the night. It’s like, when people realize you can do that to them, they really appreciate you and you sort of feel closer to them too.
Describe building a career in stand-up comedy:
God. I don’t really think I can. I never think about it until I wake up at the end of another month and think- okay, what are some technical degrees I can get in like six months? Could I just become the funniest mechanic on my block?
If you could change one thing in the world of comedy, what would it be:
We should get paid more!
Best advice you’ve ever received from a comedian:
Have fun. It’s the most trite and best advice out there. If you’re not having fun, quit immediately.
If you were releasing a comedy special this week, what would it be called:
“Mussolini & Me”
Funniest encounter you’ve ever had with a celebrity:
One time I told Conan O’brien that rich people spend too much money on their glasses and that he should go to zennioptical and he told me he wasn’t rich because he’d made bad investments and I remember thinking- I kinda don’t know what an investment is but it must be really expensive.
Weirdest place you’ve ever performed any form of comedy:
I performed outside at a Wisconsin festival in between fire dancers at noon for like a bunch of twelve year olds. That was probably just the worst not the weirdest but I tend to immediately forget the unpleasant stuff so I’m sure there’s something I’m not thinking of.
A Carly Ballerini Fun Fact:
I am a certified SCRUM Master and I can weld.
Where would you like your laughs to take you:
I’d love a special. I want to make something nice that my friends like and not worry about food or rent.
What would you tell a potential comedian if they ask you how they can own the laughs:
No idea. I’m a millennial- I’ll never own property.
What are your thoughts on the future of comedy:
It’s going to be done by robots on cruise ships.
If you could write an episode for ONE classic TV sitcom, which show would it be:
I think it would be fun to do a Parks and Rec where everyone has to deal with Leslie and Ron being grifted by a sneaky MLM. The dynamic would be fun because the two polar ends of the moral dynamic in the group would align on the worst thing, forcing all the side characters to figure out a way to appeal to opposite philosophies. Maybe that? Idk. I’ll write anything about anything, honestly. I just like writing.
If you could choose ONE comedy club and THREE comedians to perform with on your perfect comedy show, how would it go:
I would just sit it out and have Wanda Sykes, Kathlene Madigan, Maria Bamford and Beth Stelling do as much time as they wanted.
What’s next for you:
I think I’m going to start going out for more writing jobs and I’ll put out some sort of something like a special or whatever. Right now I’m working on this hour about Mussolini so I’d like to get that to the fringe.
Why should a person always laugh at life:
Because otherwise you’re a huge bummer to be around.
Follow Carly Ballerini’s comedic journey on these social media websites:
Instagram/Twitter/Facebook/Snapchat/Tik-Tok: Carly Ballerini
Youtube: Carly Ballerini
Personal Website: Carly Ballerini
