Stand-up comic Ramin Nazer has several talents – among them, the ability to spit out random numbers, the ability to string words together in unique ways, and the ability to think things. That Other Paper’s Luna recently caught up with Ramin after Punchline to discuss these important issues and others, like what exactly a laugh is.
That Other Paper Do you have any unique talents other than comedy?
Ramin Nazer I can spit out random numbers. Four six three eight nine seven two nine seven zero four one one.
TOP Very impressive. Tell me how you got into comedy and how you started performing.
RN I do it cause I love lols and getting others to lol as well. Some people see laughing as just another bodily function like coughing or sneezing. And that’s bad. I think seriousness is terrible and the cause of most problems everywhere. I always watched comedy, but just never had the courage to do it. I went to Cap City with my friend Mike just to watch the open mic and there were a lot of really great comics, like Bryan Guttman, Doug Mellard, and Carey Moore that really stood out to me and I thought, “Austin has a really great comedy scene.” A couple weeks later I did my first set and it was pretty awful, but I think I know what I’m doing now-ish. So here we are, in the ColdTowne Theater parking lot.
TOP Where do you get your material?
RN From my brain, I think, and from observing stuff.
TOP Thank you for that great answer.
RN It’s weird because everyone has heard every word you’re about to say before, so you have to arrange the words in a clever order and put emphasis on different words to make people laugh. You’re not like saying any new words that no one has ever heard before. Every word you’re going to say everyone has heard before in a different combination.
TOP What is your favorite dinosaur?
RN Favorite dinosaur? Oh, it’s the bombasaurus. It’s this dinosaur that’s in the men’s bathroom at the Velveeta Room on the wall on the right side. And he’s saying, “The thing about pussy is…” So what other off-the-wall questions can you ask me?
TOP Umm…
RN Why don’t you ask me if I read your blog on That Other Paper and I’ll just be like, “No,” and you can be like, “Oh, dot dot dot.”
TOP Do you read my blog at That Other Paper?
RN No.
TOP Oh, dot dot dot.
You can catch Ramin regularly at Punchline on Fridays at ColdTowne Theater, Sundays at Cap City Comedy Open Mic, or occasionally on Tuesdays doing the Austin Mish Mash show at Cap City.
Comments
YES!!!!!!!!!!! i lol ramin….
but you should have asked him about that girl he likes…
Ramin:
How might one go about auditioning for the “arm coming out of your crotch” gig?