Up Next, Jared Freid: A Look Through the Lens at New York Comedy

A Massachusetts-born, college frat guy, Jared Freid left the corporate world to try to tackle stand up comedy in 2007. Since then, he’s been moving up the comedy ladder quickly, getting a spot on last year’s New York’s Funniest competition, and this year grabbing another milestone- he got passed at the New York Comedy Cellar. He’s starting to be seen as one of the best young comedians in the city. He’s the J-Train, he used to sing in high school choir, and he thinks everyone hates him because he’s white (he says being a white male means he has to work twice as hard as everyone to be funny and to not come off as complaining onstage). Oh, and he also has a budding relationship with The Rock on Twitter which is pretty funny…

Phil Provencio followed Jared from his Harlem uptown apartment to his podcast taping, to Stand Up Labs and then spots at the Cellar, recently, and got these great photos.

Listen to Jared’s podcast, The JTrain Podcast on iTunes and follow Jared on Twitter and Instagram.

Follow Jared on Twitter | Listen to The JTrain Podcast | Follow Jared on Instagram

Jared On Life before New York City, what kind of life he “gave up” and why NYC…

Ha! I would never call leaving that part of my life, “giving up.” I sold life insurance and annuities. I learned so much about how to approach people and how people saw me during that time. The career just wasn’t for me. There were people that seemed happy doing it and I just wanted to be as happy as them. The best I felt was making my friends laugh or writing an email to a group chain where one person wrote back to me individually with an LOL. So, I decided to do something that would make me feel that good on a daily basis.

I was told that New York is where you get good and LA is where you make money. I want to be really good. The only way to get better is by getting on stage. NYC offers the most stages. On Tuesday night, you could do 7 open mics and maybe get a joke out of an interaction you had walking from open mic 3 to open mic 4 that could be on a late night show. That’s comedy in NYC.

On what makes him happiest…

Going out to a dinner event with my parents and my brother where you’re suppose to stay quiet during a speech and the person giving the speech is out of their mind. We all laugh at that person for the rest of the night. Basically, I’m only happy if my family and I can laugh at someone and food is nearby.

Best advice he’s ever heard….

Nobody ever wished they worked one more day on their deathbed.

Answering the opening line  “a comedian walks into a bar” and….

He drinks for twenty years and gets sober.

 

 

 

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Phil Provencio is a fast rising New York based photographer and graphic designer highlighting the comedy scene in the city and abroad. His galleries can be seen at the Comedy Cellar’s Village Underground in Greenwich Village and Carolines On Broadway in Times Square. When not out shooting headshots or shows, you can find him exploring the city for photos he contributes regularly to Urban Outfitters and their print shops.
Phil Provencio
Phil Provencio
Phil Provencio is a fast rising New York based photographer and graphic designer highlighting the comedy scene in the city and abroad. His galleries can be seen at the Comedy Cellar’s Village Underground in Greenwich Village and Carolines On Broadway in Times Square. When not out shooting headshots or shows, you can find him exploring the city for photos he contributes regularly to Urban Outfitters and their print shops.