Raised in Cincinnati, Luke Null found his passion for comedy during his years at Ohio University, where he got involved in improvisational and stand-up comedy. After graduating, he moved to Chicago, the nation’s hotspot for improv. There, he co-established the Newport Hounds, a three-person improv group in conjunction with Chicago’s iO (formerly ImprovOlympic) Theater.
After four years on the Chicago improv circuit, Null began concentrating on his music-infused stand-up routines. Though he enjoyed his time in improv, he wanted to focus on his music, and knew he could do better financially as a stand-up comedian. He’d already experimented with music in his stand-up sets; in college, he would intersperse songs among his jokes. Now, he puts more emphasis on the quality of his music rather than quantity of jokes per song. He describes his preferred delivery as “two good jokes, but in a good, three-minute song.”
Null’s advice to aspiring comedians is simple. “Write for what you think is comedy, rather than what you think others think is funny.” Not everyone is going to love every joke, but a comedian’s best bet is to be authentic. Null also points out that a comedian is their own best judge. “Learn how to edit and review yourself,” he adds, “you’re the only one watching your set all the time.” Finally, he says, “accept that you’re going to fail ten thousand times.”
Null acknowledges some jokes can be risky in today’s political climate, but he chooses not to “shy away” from political comedy. Null describes himself as a “young, socially-conscious guy,” and doesn’t see why controversial topics are often avoided. “It’s possible to be funny and not punch down,” he says, alluding to comedians whose jokes tend toward poorly-masked insults or slurs.
The “Guitar Comic” tour, four months after the release of Null’s first album, is his first large-scale tour. He’ll be visiting eight cities, with his target audience being college-age kids. Plus, Null adds, since he’s a young guy attuned to current social issues, his comedy is well-geared toward college students and twenty-somethings looking to find shows their parents won’t be attending.
What else is in store for the Guitar Comic? Null is interested in making his performances more high-tech by possibly adding in a loop pedal, allowing for multiple, simultaneous instrumental tracks during his one-man show. For now, he enjoys his shows being “just me and the acoustic guitar.”
“As long as it’s a good song…” he adds, chuckling.
Null will be performing in Milwaukee at The Underground Collaborative on Wednesday, Oct. 23rd, at 7:30 p.m.
