Hecklers, Threesomes, Lotion and Thieves: Comedian Keedar Whittle Shares Road Stories
Keedar Whittle is set to headline his upcoming stand up comedy special Hear Me Out on July 9th at the El Portal Theatre in LA. A number of celebrity guests are attending to support including Finesse Mitchell, Fonzworth Bentley, Marcellus Wiley, Jalen Rose and many others. Keedar sat down with comedian Matt Rife, the “Justin Bieber of Comedy,” for this exclusive 1 on 1 interview for The Interrobang to discuss all things Tour Life.
MR: Where and how did you get your start in the comedy world?
KW: NEW YORK CITY!! And there were some great times because New Yorkers will let you know exactly how they feel!! And you can do like 3 shows a night and take a train or a cab to get there. Super fun and real.
MR: What was the craziest thing that’s ever happened to you backstage during a show?
KW: A cop in Milwaukee brought his friend backstage to sell me weed. I made my homeboy do the deal just in case it was a set up.
MR: When you toured with Finesse Mitchell, did you guys ever have a wild encounter with a groupie? If so how did it go down?
KW: He’s married!! I have no idea what he has shared with his wife. But he is innocent in every story I tell. We did say no to a couple of husband, wife combos. “Thank you for laughing at the jokes, but no thank you to your personal fantasies.”
MR: What advice would you give to a comedian who’s going on tour for the first time?
KW: Ask for extra lotion and the WiFi password the moment you check in. And trust me, I know when you first go on the road a score is a score, but learn to be more selective just in case you slip up and end up having an 18 year connection to random places like Toledo, Ohio.
MR: Have you ever been confronted by a heckler after a show?
KW: Well kinda…A guy in Denver had a trach or as I call it “a hole in his neck”, which is part of my set. And he made it a point to speak to me after the show and for sure used his little microphone like my “Uncle Dave” does. He wasn’t mad, but what are the odds.
MR: Have you ever seen a fight breakout during a show or backstage with comedians?
KW: HaHaHa yes!! Sometimes comedians just vibe and crack jokes and most times you will hear, “I’m going to try that on stage.” Well this comedian at a college show used every joke the other guy said he was going to try out. So my boy walked on stage after the he stole the 3rd joke and took the mic and said “Since he stole all of my jokes I might as well finish my set.” Thank God there were only 75 people at this show. HAHAHAH that shit was funny tho!
MR: What was the craziest city you ever toured and why?
KW: Des Moines, Iowa…cus I saw black people and plenty of them. And we went to the club and had a blast!
MR: Who are your top 5 all time favorite comics dead or alive…?
KW: Chris Rock, Martin Lawrence, Eddie Murphy, Robin Harris, Louis C.K.
MR: What’s in your suitcase when you are on tour?
KW: The same 6 shirts I take to every city, condoms and my favorite pair of sneakers.
MR: When you hit up a new city, is there anything you always look up, check out?
KW: Whatever the thing is for that city…like Denver…never mind, but they do have a great spot called Snooze once I’m finished with…never mind. If a city doesn’t have a nationally recognized destination, I ALWAYS have to go to the hood. No, I don’t get out the car. I just roll by to see what it looks like.
MR: What’s your go to for food on the road?
KW: Chicken wings and chicken salads. I eat like shit on the road. But I do workout every morning.
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Matt Rife
