Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Yates.
Nicole, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I started doing Stand Up in Philly in 2009. I did open mics and shows all over and I ended up performing all over the east coast and little festivals. While I was doing that, I had my foodblog DidjaEat? and would sort of double dip in foodstuff while on the road doing shows. It turned into the podcast with the same name and I have a lot of fun with it.
While I love Philly, and it will always be my home, I come to a crossroads when I had to move and made the decision to come to LA for comedy and also the amazing selection of food there is here in town. I lean more on Instagram (@didja_eat) these days but I have two other podcasts: 2Mary2Tyler2Moore and Finale Watching with my friend Kevin Ott. I also run a monthly standup show at The Ruby Theatre and teach their super fun Stand Up class!
Has it been a smooth road?
Smooth road would not exactly be the way I would describe my experiences. After my Dad died, I had to handle all of his messy estate stuff, while trying to balance work and comedy. This sort of reminded me that life throws all sorts of weird stuff at you at once and you just have to keep getting up in the morning, whether you want to or not.
I moved to LA with a place to live but no job, so I worked as a dog walker (they ate the sofa!), a grocery delivery person (9 cases of water for an apartment on the 4th floor in a development with 9 buildings?), on a tv show as a PA (once I had to stand in what I can only describe as a monsoon, while wearing a crappy poncho for 6 hours while yelling at people to stay away from a window) and then an assistant to a lunatic (insert screaming here). It’s amazing what you can withstand to pay the rent!
While hustling to pay the rent, I tried to reach out to different comedy theaters to teach the Stand Up class I taught in Philly. After a lot of no responses (which I find is a thing here in LA. Instead of a “no”, you just get silence), The Ruby finally got back to me and I have been there now for over a year!
I also came here only really knowing a few people and have found a few really great friends to help me not lose my mind. And frankly, that makes all the difference.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Stand Up Comic – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
I am a Stand Up comic here in LA and I love making people laugh. It sounds corny, but it’s true. Life is basically pretty terrible a good amount of time, so if someone is making an effort to try and have a good time, I love to help with that.
I also love teaching my Stand Up class. It differs from other classes because I don’t stand there and pontificate on what Stand Up is, what comedy is and telling people there is only one way to do things. My class is a safe place to start writing, getting on the mic and collaborating with other comics in class. It’s a place to try things and feel ok if they fail (because Stand Up is all about failing and learning). I have had people take it for a variety of reasons: to get better at public speaking, to cross it off a bucket list, to try it because they have no clue how to start and to even get back into writing & performing because they needed a kickstart and deadlines. What’s funny is that some who started for other reasons have kept on doing it because they found they really enjoyed it more than they thought they would. It makes me really happy to see all my students get out there for their graduation show and really kill it!
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
Obviously, coming from a town that has brutal winter weather, I very much enjoy the more or less constant sunshine. It is amazing how much the good weather can change your attitude and overall outlook on life. I also enjoy the variety of food options and the fact that I can get a good taco or burrito pretty much any time of the day, anywhere I go. The comics here in town get a bad rap as well. Before I moved here, I had heard that everyone was kind of mean and self-centered and I have found that to be the opposite. I have found that 99% of them have been friendly and are supportive of their fellow comic. Everyone knows the struggle and are usually very happy to help someone out when they can. This town is actually populated by some very kind and friendly people that I am happy to call friends!
There are a few things I don’t like about this city and of course that ‘s the crazy traffic. I have also noticed that the driving skills leave a lot to be desired for some reason. It’s like a lot of people got their Drivers License from 7-11. I live in the Valley and people act like I live on the moon, which is very annoying. For some reason, they act like it is 1984 and the Valley is a wasteland of nothing. We have a lot of awesome comedy, as well as great food and drink places (and yes, a Target every 9 feet, just like everywhere else). One big missing thing for me here is the lack of Eastern European Food. On the East Coast, and especially Philly, we have a lot of that, everywhere. While I love, love, love the food options here, I do miss it. I especially miss the lack of Polish food, since I grew up in Port Richmond, a Polish Neighborhood in Philly, and I come from a very Polish family.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://yatesycomedy.com
- Instagram: @yatesy75, @didja_eat
- Facebook: fb.com/yatesy75
- Twitter: @yatesy75
Image Credit:
Troy Conrad, Matt Godfrey
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