Today we’d like to introduce you to Cat Alvarado.
Hi Cat, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I started doing stand-up nearly 10 years ago. I was going through a rough time and decided to shake things up and try stand-up because I had always loved the art form. A friend of mine ran a show in the back of a pizza shop up in Santa Barbara, and he let me do my first set there. I’ve been doing stand-up ever since!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Stand-up is never a smooth road, and it’s extra bumpy with the advent of social media. As a comedian, I don’t just have to adapt my stand-up material to changing culture, I also have to stay on top of the latest in social media. I’ve seen people’s careers skyrocket because they’re early adopters of platforms like TikTok and Clubhouse. I feel like such a boomer saying this, but navigating the tech landscape is one of the biggest challenges to being a live performer. I need to be a master of my craft AND a master of the algorithm. I think I have my craft down, but the algorithm is still something I’m learning to navigate.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a stand-up comedian and I love to make people laugh, and if possible, send them home with a golden nugget of a message. I’m a big fan of long-form comedians like Mike Birbiglia and Atsuko Okatsuka, and my style is very similar to theirs. A lot of comics have a disjointed series of funny bits, but I aim to weave mine together into a bigger show.
Right now, I’m most proud of my debut comedy album, Off-White, which came out last month with Blonde Medicine Records! It’s more than just a super funny comedy album; it’s a journey from being a misfit mixed Latina to finding a sense of self, with all the wacky stories along the way.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was a very shy, awkward kid and I didn’t have a lot of friends. I always wanted to find a friend group where I felt a sense of belonging, but that wouldn’t happen until I got older. So instead, I found comfort in comedy! I loved watching Jay Leno with my dad, and as I got older I’d listen to comics like Mitch Hedberg and Jim Gaffigan on repeat.
In high school, I tried new activities like ballet, track & field, and show choir, but none of these were quite the right fit. When I found stand-up, in my early twenties, I knew I finally found my tribe.
Pricing:
- Get Off-White for $9.99 on iTunes!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.catalvarado.com
- Instagram: @thecatalvarado
- Facebook: facebook.com/catalvaradocomedy
- Twitter: @thecatalvarado
Image Credits
Kim Newmoney Jojo Valente Andrew Max Levy
