Brad Wenzel is from Detroit and is 32 years old. In October, he’ll have been in the comedy industry for 15 years. So do the math: He’s been on stage for more than half his life, and when you’re on the stage that long, you develop not only your skills, but a following. He’s headlining Comedy Plex this weekend and we chatted about his long career for Take 5.
You’ve been touring the country in the name of comedy since you were 17. Can you tell us about those early days?
I think I was both nervous and excited, and naïve. I almost didn’t know I shouldn’t be there. I don’t think I understood I was a kid. I was just doing comedy. I didn’t do a lot of jokes about how young I was. It was just one-liners and stuff.
You made three appearances on Conan. What was Conan like?
He was super nice. He was really friendly and approachable and he gave specific compliments, which was really nice and that meant a lot. My little interaction with him was really positive.
They say comedy is a craft, so what are things you do to hone your craft?
Craft is a good word for it. Basically I write as much as I can and perform as much as I can. I do short sets during the week, and work on jokes and figure out where they work in an hour set on the weekend. Once I have a joke, I have to figure out where it lives. I like to write out my set list.
Social media is obviously a big key for any entertainer. How do you approach the social media equation?
I try to post a fair amount and stuff on Instagram Reels. It’s the nature of comedy and where we’re living. It means more to a lot of people producing or booking than the comics, so you kind of have to participate in it. I’ve been working on my mailing list especially. I try to convert people into joining the mailing list and I think that feels a lot more effective than social media in getting people to come to the shows.
What advice would you give to a comedian looking to break into the business?
I would just say when you’re starting out, you have to write and perform as much as you can, and you’ll get better. You’re building time. You’re building an act. That’s how you become an act, an emcee or a headliner.
If you want to study up on Brad - Instagram and his Reels is a great place to start. There’s also YouTube, so get to work.
Take 5: BRAD WENZEL