Today we’d like to introduce you to Drew Davis.
Hi Drew, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
My name is Drew Davis, and I am a former youth pastor turned standup comedian. I first started comedy about twelve years ago while I was still working as a youth pastor. Throughout the past decade, my relationship with comedy has shifted from a recreational activity to a side hustle, and now it’s my full-time job. I work mostly clean and love to perform in any and all venues that I can.
Comedy clubs, theatres, and big rooms with lots of people are obviously my favorite, but I also enjoy working the odd rooms as well! The strangest locations I have done standup comedy include a furniture store, airport terminal, greenhouse, an apartment living room for 7 drunk women, and from the bed of a pickup truck at a dog park. I love making people laugh and will go anywhere and everywhere to make that happen!
In the past year, myself and some comedy friends started a group based out of Nashville, TN, called the Clean Comedy Collective. Essentially, we’re a collaboration of comedians and producers who put on shows at any place that wants family-friendly comedy.
In January, the Collective started with just four of us from Nashville organizing a couple of local shows. Now, we have a wide network of comedians and run seven or eight shows, some of which happen in West TN and Huntsville, AL. Right now, our venues include a comedy club, 2 coffee shops, a juice bar, 2 wineries, and a pizzeria. The venues may look very different, but the overall goal of the shows is always the same…to provide premiere and clean comedy to our audiences, no matter how big or small. Recently, we had the opportunity to provide a comedy show as part of the annual Corn Day Festival in Carmi, IL, and that’s probably the furthest we have traveled yet to bring on a comedy show….it was a great time!
I am very intentional about trying to bring support and positivity into the entertainment industry. It is such a competitive business, and at times that can become really toxic. There is this idea that is never outwardly stated but in the back of a lot of performers’ heads that “celebrating YOUR success makes ME look less successful.” When I first started comedy, a motto I heard frequently was, “Remember, there can only be ONE headliner.” It’s good business for comedy clubs and people wanting to hire comedians if we’re always at each other’s throats, willing to work for less or push others down to succeed, but it is definitely not good for the individual comedians. I decided a year and a half ago when I went full-time with comedy, that I wasn’t going to add to the toxicity of our culture. I can strive to be MY best without pushing others down.
All that to say, in my own personal dealings as I am building my own comedy career and in how we interact with all venues and comedians in the Clean Comedy Collective, we’re always trying to be supportive and positive to everyone. It makes a difference, too.
Nashville’s reputation in comedy is growing. A lot of big names in comedy who are known for being more clean or family-friendly reside in Nashville, like Nate Bargatze, Dusty Slay, Henry Cho, and Aaron Weber, to name a few. But what people may not know is that as far as the local or independent scene goes, Nashville has a lot more comics that can and do work clean than most other places I have interacted with. I think the Clean Comedy Collective has had a big part in creating that culture.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
For anyone interested in getting into comedy, I think it’s helpful to note that it is definitely not a smooth road. I would say it’s thrilling, usually fun, and a great journey of self-discovery…but often, it is very difficult! And that’s okay. Most things worth pursuing have their fair share of struggle.
In comedy, there is the internal struggle and the external struggle.
Things that you can expect as a new comedian: bombing on stage, probable conflict with other comedians, rough rooms, writers’ block, and many rough shows. I experienced all of those, and the best advice I can give to newer comedians is if it’s something you want to do, you just have to toughen up, push through, and keep going.
Internally, I wrestled with finding my “voice” and learning how to be funny. (A lot of people will be surprised to know that “being funny” is actually not essential to begin standup comedy! It certainly helps though.) I wrestle with a lot of self-esteem issues. Honestly, honing my jokes and doing them on stage has helped me overcome many issues. In a lot of jokes, I make fun of things about me that I am very self-conscious about, and by getting laughs and essentially making money off my “flaws,” I feel like, in a weird way, I have taken back ownership over that part of me.
I also have struggled all my life with being a people pleaser, and that comes up a lot in standup comedy. Do I have enough followers? Does the audiences like me? Does the booker like me? What can I do to win everyone over? It’s very tempting to get obsessed with all those questions…but I think the more you live the life of a comedian the more you learn how to balance dealing with people’s perception in a healthier way. I am newer than most in this business, so I can say honestly it’s still something I wrestle with a lot, but I feel like I am a little better with it all than I was last week. And next week, hopefully, I’ll be a little better.
The last challenge I will mention is the fact that there is no “standup comedy” college degree you can get that will guarantee you a long and successful career as an entertainer. Sure, there is comedy classes, and they definitely help…but a career in any kind of entertainment is not an exact science…and it looks different for all of us. In the past year and a half, I have given myself a lot of grace and permission to try things for my career and see how it goes. You do your best, and you learn from your mistakes; that’s all any of us can really do. Sometimes my biggest obstacle is that I have no idea what I’m doing, but every day, I get a little better of an idea! It’s a good idea in comedy to learn to be objective with your routine and business plan and to *try* not to make the same mistake twice.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
I absolutely love to make crowds of any size to laugh. That is the most beautiful part of standup comedy. Someone can come to your show, and maybe that person is having the worst day ever, and they’re dealing with some really terrible stuff that is still going to be their waiting for them when they home, and there is nothing you can do to fix the terrible stuff… BUT, in the time you’re telling your jokes, you can make that person laugh and experience joy. You can give them temporary relief and brighten their day a bit, maybe even refreshing them to be able to better handle whatever they have to handle at home. What a gift! What a cool process to be part of.
For me, the job of a comedian is to make people laugh. My material isn’t very deep. I don’t get into politics. I won’t preach. I’m not looking to change your life forever with a profound truth that you will learn in a joke I tell. I just want to make people laugh and have a good time. Life is really hard sometimes, so I think creating a space to have fun is a really important job that comedians are responsible for. Other comedians may guide you to a higher understanding with humor, and I love it when they do that…but I’m just here to help you have a good time. If you come to my show, you will not leave smarter than you were before.
I am a big fan of helping people love, accept, and value themselves more, though. When I do take a moment to share something serious in my routines, it’s always a variation of “Everything about you is beautiful and on purpose” or “Part of being an adult is learning to appreciate all parts of you, even the parts you struggle to embrace.” I just want people to leave my shows feeling better about themselves. If I had a “higher message of my art,” that’s probably it.
I think one of my gifts is being an encourager. I try to let that shine in my comedy routine, and then when I talk to people offstage, too, whether they are comedians or audience members. We’re all just trying to make it to tomorrow a little less depressed.
What matters most to you?
I think of the greatest commandment in the Bible, “Love God and Love Others As Yourself,” and that is probably of utmost importance to me.
The best way we can love God is by loving, respectful, and taking care of everyone that God created because nothing matters more to God than His children.
And I think this world is severely lacking how people love people. ESPECIALLY those that think or look differently than us. You don’t have to agree with everyone, but every human deserves to be treated and valued as a human, whether you agree with them or not. We are losing the ability to treat people with respect who think differently than us, and that’s very concerning to me.
Lastly, “Love others as yourself” is a reminder that it’s important to love yourself. Sometimes, the person I treat and undervalue more than anyone else is…me…and that’s a problem! Taking care of yourself and showing yourself respect is just as important as respecting others.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.drewdaviscomedy.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/drewdaviscomedy
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/drewdaviscomedy
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/drewdaviscomedy
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/drewdaviscomedy
- Other: www.tiktok.com/@drewdaviscomedy
