Today we’d like to introduce you to Ryan Singer.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I grew up in Dayton, Ohio, and when I was very young thought I would grow to be a priest. I had very Catholic Grandparents and spent a lot of time on a farm where my Mom’s parents lived north of Dayton. It was on that farm during summers and weekend sleep sleepovers that I came to believe I would be alive for the Second Coming and I’d be right there on the front lines when the battle between good and evil played out. Quite lofty expectations for an eight years old to have, but after hitting puberty, those expectations shifted from soul-saving to entertaining. I always knew even as a kid that I would leave Dayton when I was old enough because I hated the scraping ice off windshields and shoveling snow. I dreamt of being somewhere warm but didn’t exactly know where that was other than Florida or California. Then stand-up comedy came into my life through late night TV shows like The Tonight Show and The Late Show. I couldn’t get enough of it and knew I wanted to come through people’s TV’s somehow and make them laugh and being a person who could just stand there and do that inspired me. After a few false starts and criss-crossing the country back and forth, I finally landed in LA for good about nine years ago. I’ve been “on the road” as they say doing comedy for about 12 years and it wasn’t until I made the leap into that life that I finally felt like I was supposed to be there.
I’m happy to say that I’ve been living that dream ever since and that its reality has far outstretched even my young mind’s limits of all the fun, excitement, and joy it would bring me. Sitting at home listening to comedy albums on vinyl would transport me to the stage in my mind, imagining myself inside that stereo telling jokes about I didn’t even know what. One of the biggest moments of my life was when my first album was released over ten years ago. I didn’t care so much if people loved it as much as the fact that it was real. I had manifested that dream since childhood and that’s when I felt like I just might be able to do anything I set my mind to. It’s a magical thing when we are afforded the opportunity to pursue our wildest dreams and I’m probably the luckiest damn person I know in that regard. I had no idea I’d end up where I am today, writing what I write about and fascinated by the things that captured my mind. But, in the end I wouldn’t change a thing.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
My road has been as varied as its been interesting. There were times when I felt like I was telling jokes into the Grand Canyon and I helplessly stood by as they disappeared into the void. I even had a friend years ago film my doing a set at its rim to express the frustration and despair I felt in my career at the time. Contrast that with other times when I felt like the opportunities that were coming my way were from a dream and I almost couldn’t understand how they happened or how I deserved them. I’ve always been fascinated with the long road. It seemed to me that the greatest stories, at least the ones that resonated with me were about those who created or traveled outside the beaten path. These stories seem to have more colorful and rich details as the characters and places one travels when trying to forge their own path or at least take paths that have been seldom walked have deeper lessons, more enriching truths, and the ownership of uniqueness.
I’ve had many shifts in what I felt I wanted to do with my comedy and those shifts sometimes were just ideas, but they always were unplanned. What I mean by that is that they were triggered by events in my life that were unforeseen. There’s no way to plan for a future that is at its heart unknowable. But, we can try our best to ensure we have the tools at our disposal to deal with any future unknown in a way that we believe to be honest and true to our own sense of purpose. I was once obsessed with the darkness of stand-up comedy. It is built into the art through its language and lore. When a comedian does well, they “kill.” When we fail, we “bomb.” This destruction that is built into how many of us view our craft and it’s no surprise that many of absorb this into our personal lives and become self-destructive because we believe it is the calling of the craft. I always heard you couldn’t be funny if you were happy. Around 2008 is when I realized I could be funnier or at least funnier how I wanted to be when I was happy. That changed everything for me. Darkness and edge or still the dominant themes of stand-up today, but I’m trying my best to forge my own path in the light. And it’s not like I’m alone out there, either. I can see the lanterns of others doing the same in their own ways as I travel.
Early on in my career, I let that darkness and self-destruction dominate my personal life as I believed I had to be tortured or struggling to be funny. It was a self-fulfilling prophecy in that way. I spoke of false starts early on when I started and those usually were of the too much “fun” variety. I was more concerned with the lifestyle of what I grew up thinking a comedian was than doing the work to be a comedian. But, those lessons influenced who I am today and for that I am grateful.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
In my heart, I’ll always be a stand-up comedian first. My love of stand-up has led to almost every great thing I now have in my life. I’ve been described in many ways and some of them seemingly contradict each other. One time I was described in an article as “The Weirdest Comedian You’ll See,” and other times I have been considered a “road dog,” which has the connotations of being able to perform anywhere – just set up a mic. Amazing experiences in my life have shaped who I am and as a result the comedy I perform. I’ve tried to focus on bringing joy, love and the fringe to the mainstream light. I talk about my spiritual, paranormal, and seemingly sci-fi topics that are actually realities or at the least eventualities in my act. Some classify me as a “paranormal” comedian and others might call me “alt.” I specialize in bringing what I hope to be a unique perspective to my performances, shaped by my belief that we are all connected, the supernatural is in fact natural, and the idea that even though its more difficult, love is the only thing that can truly transform our world.
I’m known for having a paranormal podcast where I openly discuss dating a woman who could shapeshift and another podcast that is focused on practicing magick. I’m also known for my willingness and desire to be on the road and bring my style of stand-up to anyone who will have me. I perform jokes about Bigfoot, crystals, magick, reincarnation, the singularity, and other subjects that are considered “esoteric.” It is my belief that these subjects may be nothing more than familiar words to many people, but in another 5-10 years they will be mainstream. I’m most proud of my willingness to take that plunge over ten years ago and try to write and perform about that things that are important to me and to let others know that yesterday’s crazy will be tomorrow’s normal.
It brings me great joy when people reach out to me after shows or after listening to my podcasts that they no longer feel as alone as they once did. They tell me that it refreshing to know their thoughts of being crazy or delusional because they experienced something unexplainable aren’t unique to them. What is comedy if not the world’s best tool to bring about connection and a sense of togetherness? I don’t care what color, creed, or other trait someone identifies themself as, if a joke is funny we all laugh. What sets me apart from others is that I’m willing to share my personal experiences and thoughts dealing with the paranormal, supernatural, and the “esoteric” with audiences in a way that is hopeful, considerate and hopefully really damn funny. That’s what I’m trying for – to remind us all that we are in this together and there’s a lot more to this world than we thought at first glance.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Luck is always involved in my life in one way or another. I sometimes wonder if the difference between good luck and bad is completely a matter of perspective. Was I extremely lucky last winter when driving on the freeway that the loose wheel of a car traveling the opposite direction hit the hood of the vehicle I was driving and missed the windshield by a mere inch and half as it bounded down from the sky? Or was I extremely unlucky that I happened to be driving in the exact right place at the exact right time for wheel to fall from the sky and hit me? I’d say extremely good luck was at play, but again, I think it is all contingent on perspective. I’ve had so much damn good luck in my career that it is laughable. I have met the right people at the right time and luckily we hit it off. This is not to discount hard work and belief, but the luck I’ve had up to now has been paramount in my success. I don’t win playing the lottery, but I have won in almost every other regard. I’m a believer that luck is just another force of the universe that needs your belief to exist and with that in mind, I’m going to keep on believing.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ryansingercomedy.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rysing/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/meandparanormalyou/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/RySing
- Other: https://anchor.fm/thisiswherethemagickhappens
Image Credit:
Troy Conrad & Adrian Aguilar
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