Reggie Watts is the former bandleader/in-house musician for both Comedy Bang! Bang! and The Late Late Show, a comedian with a new special available to stream on Veeps, a musician, a writer, an improviser, and creative force of nature. Pushing back on the expected is Watts’ forte, crafting 2024’s most unique special, a comedy and music filled period piece set in the hopeful pre-internet mid-’90s.
Below, in our latest quick check-in with the most interesting voices in comedy culture, Watts talks about the benefits of growing up in the tech/social media pre-dawn, who he’s listening to, his comedy and music heroes, what he’d tell young comics about finding their own unique voice, and not being afraid of failure.
What was your first concert?
My first concert was Fugazi in Missoula, Montana.
What are the last 3 records you bought or albums you listened to?
Gosh, that’s a really good question. I’ve been listening to the song “My City” by Juliet Mendoza on repeat. The Marias Submarine, that’s an amazing album. And “Flight FM” by Joy Orbison.
Who are the artists across comedy and music that you grew up loving?
There are so many. I grew up with a lot of Eddie Murphy and Richard Pryor. I loved watching them when I was younger. Carol Burnett, Prince, Michael Jackson, Ministry, The Smithereens, just so many.
As an improviser, is there still a fear of failure when you are on stage, and if so, how do you use that energy?
I don’t really have a fear of failure when I’m onstage but I do have a fear of letting an audience down if I’m not connecting to them and I think I like using that as my energy source. And the constant newness is what’s exciting and new for me onstage.
What was behind the decision to base this latest special in the ’90s?
Yeah, I just wanted to base it in the ’90s because I wanted to recreate some of the hopefulness that we felt in the mid-90’s about the future and about the internet and just the absurdity of pretending it’s another time period on stage.
What are the bits from ‘90s culture that you think have had the most influence on your work and on culture in general?
I think the counterculture movement of the ’90s — especially growing up in Seattle — [has] always had a big effect on how I’m perceiving the world and how I’m creating things. I think just the camaraderie that I had with my friends back then kind of motivated me to always put friendship first. And just the ability to have the freedom to think and do what I want to do.
What are the benefits and drawbacks of being someone who has lived pre-internet and within the internet era?
Well, I think there’s really only benefits. You know, I got to live my childhood and teen years with no phones but with computers and computer games and things like that because the internet thankfully came along after high school. It really allowed me to have a normal, organic, human based upbringing. And then the internet came around at exactly the right time, for me, and I loved the expansion of the technology and where it’s gone since. I think I’ve experienced the perfect technological curve in my lifetime.
What advice do you have for aspiring comics and performers when it comes to experimentation and expectations?
I think just try not to self analyze. Try not to just do the things that people expect from you. I think it’s important to kind of adopt like a “fuck it” kind of attitude. As long as you’re caring about your audience, that’s really the main thing. Just have a good time with it.
Who is your dream collaborator and why?
Dream dead collaborator would probably have to be Prince — I would’ve loved to do something with him. I don’t know if our styles would have matched because he definitely seems pretty… writer-ly and structure-ly and super rehearsed but I bet you he could definitely get on board with where I’m coming from.
Dream alive collaborator I think would be Björk. I think she’s just a polymath, you know? She does so many things, she’s multimedia and I think she just has a vision for all forms of media that she’s involved in and I really like that.
Check out Reggie Watts’ special, ‘Never Mind,’ on Veeps here.
