Derek Sheen is one of Seattle comedy’s most distinct personalities. He’s been a reliably hilarious presence on local stages for over a decade, ranting and dropping obscure references, his voice climbing excitedly into the upper register with the faintest hint of a lisp. Wildly opinionated but utterly approachable, Lindy West once described him as “a human hug.”
After making some major career leaps in the past year, including the release of his first album (covered in City Arts here) and a tour with Patton Oswalt, he is moving to LA next month.
I conducted an exit interview with Sheen.
You started doing comedy in Seattle, right? When was that?
I’ve been in and out of stand up since the age of nine. I had an agent (a neighbor guy who had a band) who took me to some fairs and promoted me. It was horrible. I was horrible. Here’s why: Kids aren’t funny. PERIOD. It really turned me off to performing and I also realized that I suffered from debilitating stage fright. A good thing to learn at that age! But I loved comedy so much that I had to keep trying it. My first official open mic was at the age of 13, at the Comedy Underground, which would later (much, much later) become my home club.
What was the scene like when you started? Who were the comics you looked up to back then?
When I “started” (for the 8th and final time), the scene was amazing. The Underground had two open mics: Sundays and Mondays. You could do both nights and you’d see a lot of the same comics. Most of them started around the same time and the level of support was…healthy? Guys would stick around and watch (critique) each other’s sets, laugh when something landed and be ready to share their opinion when something went horribly askew. There was a good amount of constructive criticism shared in that group.
It seemed like everyone wanted everyone to succeed. It was very nurturing. That year I met: Andy Peters, Emmett Montgomery, Scott Moran, Geoff Brousseau, Geoff Lott, Heneghen, Kevin Hyder, Travis Vogt, Brian Moote, Andrew Sleighter, Jeff Dye, Hari Kondabolu, Paul Merrill, Peter Greyy, you, Adam Norwest…Half of those guys are on television or writing for television or being paid to write!!? Heck of a senior class. It was the surge of the “Alt”-comedy thing (a term I loathe, right up there with ‘comedienne’) and there was a movement to take comedy out of the dungeon and bring it to a younger, hip audience. Chai houses, coffee shops, black box theaters: the shows mixed stand-up and local indie bands. They cost $5 instead of $15. It was a movement and, like all movements, it had a surge and then declined rapidly.
What made you decide to leave Seattle? What does LA offer that Seattle doesn’t?
Seattle is a wonderful city. Christ, it’s my HOME! But it is also extremely limited in its options. There’s no film industry here anymore, because our city is run by nitwits who would rather lose money on sports stadiums than make a shit-ton of money off visiting film studios. Ask Vancouver how that worked out for them. No industry? No agents. No agents? No actual possibilities. It’s not like I want to get into acting, but let’s be honest: Seattle isn’t very welcoming to the concept of stand-up as anything other than a curiosity right now. There is only ONE club in the entire metropolitan region, and it’s a “C room” (which means that it usually books guys like me and other people you’ve never heard of-not a shitty thing, but it’s very limited in its scope and budget). Our local press only likes to pay attention to it when something juicy happens. So, as a consequence, most potential audiences are rubberneckers hoping to get a good seat in case someone tells a rape joke instead of genuine excitement for the art form. (It IS an art form, by the way.) So, as much as it pains me to stay here and go completely unnoticed, I kinda have to make the move to a place that offers more opportunities.
What do you like most about the Seattle comedy scene in 2013?
The current Seattle comedy scene is an interesting one. There are some amazing comics that should be getting frustrated by the total lack of positive attention at any moment now and leaving here soon, as well. Go find them, before they start telling journalists that they’re from Portland. I think Seattle has the potential for greatness. It always has. And then it’s always just failed by a little, teensy margin, where it was sooo close to almost doing something great…then it decided “Fuck it!” and put up a giant Ferris Wheel instead.
What do you dislike about Seattle comedy?
We’re very mired in drama, as a scene. I’m sure every city’s scene feels that way. But there is something unique about the level and frequency with which things happen here that outpaces other cities by full miles: the in-fighting, the toxic message boards, the back-patting defense of fratty behavior, the rumor, the innuendo…and very few paid shows. It seems like we’re moving away from the direction of creating performing artists and more like we’re creating tiny, gated comedy communities. I think a great awakening is on the horizon, as it’s always darkest before the…you get it. But I fear that if a massive, collective head-from-ass-removal-party does not happen soon, Seattle will have a comedy scene not unlike Lansing, Michigan or Butte, Montana. Real hot zones of stand-up.
What would you do to improve the scene?
If I was ever in a position to give advice, I would say: Go to EVERY single mic. Do as much time as possible. Time builds time. Always be writing. Record yourself. Listen to yourself. Be your own worst critic. Learn to operate out of your comfort zone. Don’t be afraid of failure and don’t be afraid to change if you fail. Remember, you’re going to suck at this. Period. For a very long time. Maybe forever? Maybe for a year or five. But, if it’s something you love, try to do it to the best of your ability. Then, try to do just a little better than that. Every time you feel like you finally get it and you’re at the top of your game, you are about to suffer a major setback or a failure of galactic magnitude. Every little thing we do is about growth, so hold on. Also, you don’t need business cards. Put those things away. What are you, a catering company?
Also, as an audience, if you’re afraid of stand-up or all you have is a negative snapshot, go again. If you don’t support it, it will go away and be replaced by quirky hipsters playing ukelele covers of Cat Power songs, which has a shelf life of about two minutes and has also been known to be the cause of most school shooting. So, entirely up to you, Seattle; support comedy or support school shootings? If I know my city, I bet you go with school shootings…
Anything you’d like to add?
Here is a list of local comics that I absolutely love: Parker Postenyi, David Zoe Leon, Abbey Drake, Leah Mansfield, Ryan Casey, Albert Kirchner, Jim Stewart Allen, Scott Losse, Elicia Sanchez, Mike Coletta, Evan Morrison. I’m sure I missed a few. (I listed mainly younger/newer comics, so don’t get butt hurt, older guys!)
Go seek them out and watch them!
(Photos courtesy Heather Christianson. Album art by Mark Allender.)