Today we’d like to introduce you to Brandon Collins
Hi Brandon, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I was born and raised in Ann Arbor, Michigan where I got my start performing stand-up and sketch comedy. During my senior year in high school, I produced my first variety show that had stand-up, sketch, and improv comedy. After I got settled in New York and figured out my college schedule, I started producing shows throughout the city. One of them was a monthly stand-up comedy show, “Comedy Outliers”, which had an incredible eight year run. It was featured in the New York Comedy Festival, NY Times, and we even hosted shows for Yelp and Webster Hall. When that show ended, I was trying to decide on my next project and was speaking with another Black comedian about our different experiences learning Black history. I realized that there were so many untold, incredible Black heroes and pioneers that we never hear about. That’s when “Drunk Black History” was created. The drinking component was added to bring levity to some pretty heavy topics discussed during the show.
Over the past six years, producing and hosting “Drunk Black History” has been an honor. Giving a platform to these incredible Black historical figures and events while being able to take this show to different cities across the country means that there’s a want and need for these stories to be heard. It’s been an amazing journey so far.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Producing “Drunk Black History” hasn’t been the easiest. Making sure the stories we’re telling are clear and accurate while drinking is a tough balancing act every time a new guest joins me onstage. We’ve had a great success rate in accurately re-telling a Black historical figure or event’s background with humor, sincerity, and honesty, but there have been times, especially in the earlier shows, when things got a bit too hectic.
The biggest challenge I’ve faced was splitting with my previous co-host. As the producer of the show, I put a lot of effort into marketing, working with the venues and talent, and organizing the event to make sure that the audience has a great experience. Long story short, this previous collaborator didn’t value that so we ended up parting ways. It was terrifying hosting the show on my own (I do occasionally have a guest co-host) but it’s been incredible making deeper connections with the audiences and hearing how much they appreciate the show and the stories told.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Before 2022, I had had an extensive career in Education managing teams of instructors and running coding bootcamps. Then I was accepted in the Universal Writers Program in LA in 2022 and since then I’ve been a full-time creative; writing, podcasting, and producing. I’ve been producing comedy events as long as I’ve been paid to teach; both experiences were in high school. Those times were wild…I was17 years old and producing my first variety show while having a side gig where I’m teaching lessons on STDs and Abstinence (!!!) to middle and high school students.
My first production in high school was a turning point for me. At the time, my home life was a mess and my future prospects weren’t very clear. The only thing that brought me joy at that time was comedy so I basically organized a show with the funniest people I knew and put on a show that I thought would draw a crowd. The fact that I was able to pull off booking a venue, convincing a teacher to sign off on being our “supervisor”, and sell out the shows makes it my proudest moment as a producer. It’s given me the confidence to push through any event; no matter how hard things get.
I’m known for producing events that showcase different experiences in life. Diversity is something that is incredibly important to me and I like to reflect that in everything I do. Whether it a stand-up comedy showcase, a sketch show, or a multi-media history-based boozefest, I want anyone off the street to be able to walk into my show and have a great time (this has actually happened several times). I believe that’s what set me and my shows apart from other live events. I think that’s the reason why I always see the same faces at my shows. They have such a great time that they come back and bring others with them. That’s when you know you’ve got something cooking.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
I think the demand for high quality comedy and live performances is going to grow. Live comedy is one of the last pure experiences you can have without the distraction of a screen. This is also going to ensure that peformances are top notch because attention spans are getting shorter and shorter, so you have to make sure that you’ve got material or features that keep people engaged throughout.
Another prediction I’ll make is that with the increased use of AI in translating language, more comedy events will be live-streamed internationally with a realistic voice-imitation catered to the viewer’s native language. It’s going to be crazy and slightly terrifying but I can see it happening sooner than later.
Pricing:
- $5 off with discount code BFriends
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.drunkblackhistory.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frodo_blackins
- Twitter: https://x.com/americancollins
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@drunkblackhistory
Image Credits
Photography by JT Anderson.
