Today we’d like to introduce you to BJ Cramer.
Hi BJ, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I started stand-up comedy back when I was 14. My mom would take me to the hole in the wall open mics, sit in the back of the audience and watch. She was so happy once I started driving! I was embraced by the DFW comic community once they saw how serious I was about the craft. Since then, my goal has been to show up as my complete self in whatever room I walk in and allow the years of hard work speak for itself. It has worked out pretty well. I’ve been a part of the 1865 Comedy Festival in Atlanta. I’ve been in a few short films and one feature length film, “Step Dad”, streaming on Tubi. I’ve headlined quite a few times and opened up for some amazing comics like Ron Taylor, Sean Patton, and Josh Adam Meyers to name a few.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Honestly, the road is never smooth. We can complain about how bumpy the road is, or we can upgrade our suspension so we can have a smoother ride. I think that was the biggest mental hurdle: taking responsibility for my environment and the obstacles I’ve met along the way. The obstacles are not meant to stop you. You’re to learn something from them, and boy did they have a curriculum! Man, I’ve been snaked out of shows. I had a friend of mine sabotage one of my headlining shows. I’ve had family drama that resulted in a broken home. I’ve had to be the man of the house and chase my dreams since I was 14.
Now, I could’ve been bitter, but I chose to take what I could from these experiences.
I’ve learned to watch who I have around me and to make sure that the relationship is equally mutualistic. I’ve learned to stop lying to myself to protect someone else’s projected image. I’ve learned to separate my emotions from the jokes (art) I create so that I’m not butt hurt about a new idea not working in the moment. I’ve learned the value of true friendship and kinship within the business. I learned what type of man I am and how much more I want to become. You don’t get that kind of a revelation without a few bumps on the road.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a stand-up comedian, writer and actor. My focus is stand-up comedy. For awhile, I was known for outlandish takes on the culture around us. Nowadays, I’m known for my introspection and the vulnerability I show on stage. That’s one of the things I’m most proud of. I talk about things now that I didn’t have the courage to talk about 8 years ago. It’s a lot more personal for me. It’s not just random ideas that I think someone will laugh at, although those are in there too. I’m just not limiting myself to what I think everyone will get right away. I’ll take a deep thought or an emotion around a subject and go “now how can I make this funny?”. Not going to lie, sometimes ITS ROUGH. Sometimes, the audience doesn’t get it or they get it and it’s just not funny yet. A lot of comics will throw out a premise and if it doesn’t get a laugh, they’ll throw it away and move onto the next thing. I don’t move on quickly. I’ll chisel that thing until it’s the sculpture I saw in my head. Once those kind of jokes connect with the audience, it’s a feeling that’s hard to describe.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
I listen to some podcasts. The “HotBreath Podcast” is centered around comedians helping comedians with all things comedy, the art and the business side respectively. Any podcast where a comic is talking about their creative process or “the do’s and don’ts of whatever”, I’m probably going to listen to. “The Comedy Bible” by Judy Carter was the first book on standup comedy that I ever read. Every now and then, I re-read it and something new will pop out at me. But, the biggest resource that I have, and that any artist has, is their circle. I have friends, comics, and family members that I can talk to and a treasure trove of ideas will come from those genuine conversations. Most of the time, I’m not going over jokes. We’re just talking and that’s where the most relatable things come from. I also have friends that do not mind holding my feet to the fire. I was talking to my friend and fellow comic Corey “Cap” Hill one day. We went on like a 10 minute impromptu, funny rifting session off of something that I said. I said, “Man I gotta write that down.” He said, “Okay you have 3 shows to do that joke or I’m taking it!” As much as that made me laugh, it’s what I needed to hear. There are so many jokes that I say on the fly and I forget them by the time I’m on stage. Good friends point out your blindspots and help you correct them!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bjcramercomedy/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bobby.cramer.96/
