Rachel Daze, an upstate New York comedy staple, is someone who I've encountered from time to time. She is often coming up with some of the weirdest bits, and her style immediately got my attention. Check out some clips from a comic with a young career as we chat about the finer points of comedy and open mic life. Correction: In the beginning, I say I met Rachel in 2003. It was 2023.

Mike Shanks is a comic and promoter from an area of upstate New York that isn't know for being a comedy hub, but that doesn't keep him from trying. He travels around, booking shows for himself and other comics, growing a career on foot. His jokes are hilarious absurdist one-liners, but behind the mask we see a hard-working businessman with a passion for his writing.

I met Aamir in Rochester in late 2023, just a few months before he decided to set up shop in New York City to push his comedy career ahead with more steam. Already hilarious, Aamir understands that there's always a lot to learn, something which seems to excite him more than anything. In this phone call, we stay mostly on the topic of comedy while not staying on topic at all.

We start with a visit to Portland, Maine where we sit down with Carlo Rojas. He talks about getting started in open mics, working with the Portland Maine Comedy Festival and eventually producing shows of his own.

Rachel Daze, Rochester NY. Out Thanksgiving 2024.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooo it's such a mystery! No but seriously this dude's cool, you shouldn't be able to wait.

Trailer: Portland, Maine - Carlo Rojas