Rebellion at the Improv

What inspired you to get this group together?

TK: I found it really hard to get stage time when I was out here. Everybody wanted a taste. Everybody wanted me to wait and do a lot of open mics. I started promoting shows and just thought this would be a good way to have a name that people will recognize and give young comics an opportunity to play venues like the Improv -- which is not always easy to get up to. They have a huge roster and they've got people that they're putting up. The Improv has been very gracious with us by letting us do these shows. It's worked out for us and it's worked out for them. It gives people a chance to see comics they might not see on regular nights at the Improv that I think are very, very talented and deserve a shot.

How do you find the comics for the Rebels of Comedy?

TK: At first I would go to open mics and find these people, or hang out at the Improv and look for talent. Now that I've been doing it for seven or eight years with the Rebels, I've got a good reputation where people will call me. Jimmy Dean Freeman's doing my show -- he's turned comics on to me. Rick Kunkler, who's done some of our shows -- he's turned comics onto me. That's really helped us out.

Over the years, what's been your biggest highlight?

TK: There's so many! Having Robin Williams on the stage was great ... but to be honest with you, the best highlight is more than one. It's actually having new comics come out, do my shows, and then one of them maybe gets a manager, an agent, and through that they get on TV or do a commercial. For me, that's really the highlight. Having these pros come out is just fantastic -- Kevin Nealon's done the show -- but really having the young comics get something out of doing the Rebels of Comedy is what appeals to me. [That's what makes me] continue to do these shows, even as my young career progresses -- hopefully forward!

What's your advice to up-and-coming comics?

TK: My best advice? A lot of times people will take comedy classes where they have a certain way of doing things. I believe that people shouldn't tell you what to do or what not to do. Material that could work for them may not work for me, and vice versa. There's not set pattern. I've seen comics do stuff that I couldn't pull off, and I do material that other comics couldn't do as well. Basically, we shape our own comedy to our own personalities. That's why it can work so well for the individual. I would tell new comics out there that if people tell you not to do comedy, or you shouldn't do this, you shouldn't do that ... if it works for you, do it!

Where do you see the Rebels in the next couple years?

TK: Right now one of the guys in the troop -- Dean Wolf -- and I are trying to take it on the road, maybe doing a four man act ... maybe have certain comics being in one part of the United States and at other times being in another part of the United States. We did a pay-per-view special of Rebels of Comedy a couple years ago. I'd like to amp it up and try that again, maybe get on Comedy Central or Spike or something like that.

What should people expect at your shows?

TK: This week we've got one or two people who are doing their first time at the Improv, but they're still very good. They're talented and it's their turn to do the Improv. You're going to see a variety of acts. You're going to see some comics that are a little bit cleaner and maybe a little more family oriented. The reason Rebels is the name isn't because of everybody's individual comic styling. I came up with Rebels because that's the attitude that the comics that do my show have. We're not going to stop. We're going to keep doing this. We have to rebel against whatever wall is holding us up. We're going to either knock it down or climb over, but we're going to get through and we're going to make our careers a success.

Switching gears, LAist also got some insight on life behind the mic with the Rebel's Jimmy Dean Freeman. Known for a prolific Myspace profile and occasionally going for a 100 mile run, his motor is always running ...

Do you picture people naked on stage?

Jimmy Dean: I generally can't. To me, nakedness is very funny. 90-95% of the individuals look pretty silly naked. The other 5% are in the porn industry. It's critical not to think of nudity or I'll be giggling throughout my set. There's nothing as annoying as a comic who seems to be laughing at their own jokes. In truth, they're thinking of the people in the audience naked. I like to see them after the show naked, but during the show I try to stay as professional as possible.

How'd you get involved with the Rebels?

JD: I used to watch MTV Half-Hour Comedy Hour when I was 12. There was no Comedy Central back then! Standup comedy always fascinated me. There were two things I shared with my father. At night, we'd sit down and watch Sports Center or we watched stand-up comedy. I loved stand-up ... In my early 20's I started to write an act. I had a full set (maybe 5 minutes) written and ready to go. I didn't even put it up at an open mic for about five years. When I moved to LA ... my good friend from high school was performing in a Rebels of Comedy show. It really ignited my desire to do it!

What was that first experience like in front of the mic?

JD: It was terrifying and exhilarating! In many ways it was a little like cliff jumping. If you stand to long on the edge and think about it, it becomes bigger than you. I had a good number of friends there that night ... a sympathetic audience.

Who do you look up to in the biz?

JD: My comedic idols are Brian Regan and Jim Gaffigan. They're just so clean. Jerry Seinfeld's another one. They don't need to swear, they don't need to use blue humor (sexuality and porn). I haven't watched a lot of Cosby but he had that reputation as well. They could tell you a story about anything ... one or two quick sentences to set up it, then it's just punchline after punchline after punchline.

How have the Rebels helped you?

JD: Going back and watching old tapes -- I've got DVDs and audio tracks of shows three years ago -- it's been fun to see my own personal development. I'm not anywhere near a featured or headlining act yet, but it's a longterm goal and I've been working really hard at it for the past few years.

It's fun. Even the nights that I bomb ... for me it's been very liberating. I've never had that naked feeling on stage like "Oh my god, I never want to do this again!" ... My general rule is to get back up -- quickly -- get on that same stage, with a new audience, and turn it around. I'm proud to say I have more killer sets nowadays than I have bombs.

You're heading back for a repeat performance at the Improv. Are some venues easier than others?

JD: That's a tricky question. It's easy to say yes to that. There's a common consensus among performers that the audience comes in prepped. They're ready to laugh. Generally speaking, comedy clubs are a good example. My favorite house is the main stage at the Icehouse in Pasadena. I haven't had a bad set there. I've had off nights, but I haven't bombed. Even on an off night, you're still getting some laughter.

On the other side of that, it's your job to win them over no matter what. It doesn't matter what you have in common or if they're in a bad mood because they've just come through bad LA traffic in the rain. It doesn't matter if there's five people or five hundred. It's your job to make them laugh. Period.

What else should people know about the Rebels?

JD: I'm a clean comic, but Rebels is all over the map. That's one of the reasons I love performing with them. They're equal opportunity! Anybody with any type of material can get in and do their thing. TK is incredibly supportive about you doing what makes you funny. If you ask for feedback, he'll give you feedback, but he doesn't offer unsolicited advice. That's rare in this day and age in this industry! Everyone wants to give you their two cents!

Rebels has been an integral part of my development. I'm now a booking comic. I do road gigs. They're few and far between, but they're getting more frequent each year. I'm looking forward to that progression and that development arc.