Comedy Salad with Buddah #13 Johnny Kavanaugh

Today's Comedy Salad takes us to the great city of St. Louis to visit with this week's guest. Being the host/emcee of a comedy show takes a certain personality and flair to make an audience comfortable as soon as the show starts. You also have to give a proper intro for the comics. My friend Johnny Kavanaugh is the comedian who taught me how to properly introduce a comedian when I first began as an emcee and is this weeks interview. Johnny's shows are usually pretty clean and he touches on family situations with his dad and also beling a father, himself. And I have to admit one of the biggest pieces of comedy advice I have received to date came from Johnny Kavanaugh. All he said (about standup) was "it's all about confidence and attitude" and he was right. So going forward, I always try to carry these two words with me just before I hit the stage. I asked Johnny six questions and he shot one (weird) question back to me too. So, without further ado, here they are...



BUDDAH: I'll get right to the point, Johnny. What does it take to become a headlining comedian?



JOHNNY: It helps to have a comedian friend who opens a comedy club. All of the rooms I have headlined offered me the gig. Most of the time it was after working that room as a feature or even an emcee. I guess that they would see I was getting better. I was not an asshole or I would work for what they paid. I guess it is a combination of those. You have to make it tough to follow you and be able to follow anybody they put up in front of you. How you get to that situation, I have not a real idea. Also it is hard to stay a headliner than become a headliner.



BUDDAH: Where has been your longest road trip for a gig and where did you go?



JOHNNY: If you mean mileage I guess the farthest I have driven is down to Tucson a few times, I have flown to New York and Vegas. If you mean time wise, I did a few three week runs where I was gone for three weeks but home after that. I did that to the south west and to Florida. The three weeks in Florida seemed like a year.



BUDDAH: What is the best line you have heard from a comic to shut down a heckler?



JOHNNY: I honestly cannot think of one that is not a standard line that a bunch of comics do. I have heard about some great ones but was not there to verify. I do know Dale Jones uses this, "I am trying to be the only an idiot in the room and you are trying to make it a contest."



BUDDAH: What are a few of your favorite comedy clubs to work at?



JOHNNY: As far as walking on stage and that 30-45 minutes you are up there my favorite room is Wits End in Denver. Every show I ever did there went great (them not me) the audiences would be quiet till you got to the punch line and laughed at every tag. Now as far as the whole "club" experience there are a buch that I love to work, Loonees in Colorado Springs, Funnybone in Omaha. they had a great staff and managers, and shows were always fun.



BUDDAH: You are the front man for your very own band. What is the band called and what is your stage name?



JOHNNY: Not once in my life has this thought crossed my mind. Wait, that seems like a pretty long name for a band. So, I will go with the Rolling Stones, Mick Jagger.



BUDDAH: Would you ever work a club again with Buddah after this whole comedy blog fiasco? If so, why?



JOHNNY: Sure I would, because I don't have enough pull in this business to veto my opening act. So yeah, there is a chance. I am just kidding. The Rolling Stones, Mick Jagger (that is my go to answer). I had a bunch of laughs when we worked together before and don't see why that would not be the case again.



And now it is that time in the interview to turn it around on Buddah. Here is Johnny's question to me.....Did you know that on my high school diving team, I also went by the Buddah, even had it sewn on the back of my sweats?



BUDDAH: Sadly, I had not researched your high school years until just now. Getting bullied and pushed into a pool does not constitute "making the High School Diving Team" just because you never drowned. However, I am requesting that you wear those sweat pants at our next gig. And thanks for having my name tattooed on your ass, my friend.


Another Comedy Salad is in the books thanks to Johnny "Mick Jagger" Kavanaugh. If you are into wine (and jokes) John has upcoming gigs at Grafton Winery August 10th in Grafton, IL and later at Weingarten Winery in Belleville, IL. He also is availabe for private and corporate shows. And you can always catch his act at clubs in the St. Louis area and who knows, maybe he will venture back to Florida or Tucson someday.

Sizing things up, and notice the ring. He is married, ladies.