STAND-UP TUESDAYS: Erik Griffin

March 5th, 2013

Angie Frissore

Stand-Up Tuesdays is a weekly comedy spotlight written by the wonderfully talented Angie Frissore. Covering both known and unknown comics, Stand-up Tuesdays is your new source for all things funny.

This week, Angie puts a spotlight on Erik Griffin’s comedy career. If you or your comedy troupe would like to be featured on Stand-Up Tuesdays, please email utgjames@gmail.com.

Comedian and actor Erik Griffin has joined forces with SideOneDummy Records to release his debut comedy album, Technical Foul: Volume One on March 12, 2013, marking the first ever comedic signing for the renowned indie/punk rock record label. The album features just under an hour of cutting-edge comedy from the “Workaholics” star in which he rants about a man’s ‘dick out zone’ and ponders the logistics of life as a two-headed conjoined twin. In celebration of the album’s release, Griffin recently took the time to chat with me about signing with SideOneDummy and getting his first album out there.

UTG: “So you are the first comedian to sign with SideOneDummy – tell me a little about how that came to be.”

Griffin: “One of the owners of the label, Joe Sib, he’s actually branched to the comedy world and so in doing a couple of shows with him, and going to see his podcast and radio show – we started talking about it. He approached me about it and I just liked what he had to say. I liked the people at the label, you know, they work hard, they’re very excited…I have a great feeling about it.”

UTG: “Being the first comedian on the label has to give you some level of freedom to do what you want to do with it.”

Griffin: “Well, you know, it is collaboration; I like the ideas that they had and the things that they’re doing to promote the album. Every step of the way I was on the same page with them; it just felt really natural, so I don’t really think of it like that. I don’t think a comedy label would have been as smooth as it was with these guys.”

UTG: “People can pledge to your campaign and get all sorts of goodies?”

Griffin: “The Pledge Music campaign – I’m actually the first comic on them, too, to do that. Usually it’s strictly musicians. They’re fans of me too, the people that run Pledge Music, so it’s just like a Kickstarter, but better. It’s not like we’re trying to raise money so much as we’re trying to promote the album. If you go on there, the lowest donation – it’s not really a donation, you’re buying the album – you get the live stand up, downloads of gigs; if you’re a fan of the show, you know about Smoothie. I’m making a cup with my face on it; you can get a signed T.V., you can get a wife-beater (because on the show, I always have a wife-beater on for some reason), posters, t-shirts, all these kinds of things at different price ranges. You can get tickets to the Hollywood release party here in L.A. It’s a way to pre-promote the album until it comes out on March 12th.”

UTG: “Are you nervous about releasing your first album?”

Griffin: “I am nervous, because I listen back to it and go, ‘Oh man, I do these jokes better already.’ But that’s always going to be the case, you know? Anything you tape and put out there, you look back on it, you’re like, ‘Uggh, this is not….yeah.’ This is that feeling. Most people fail because of fear. They fail because they become a slave to their house note, their care note, relationships – we think that these are the things that are most important in life, when just following your dreams is not a big effort. It just takes an effort. It just takes that belief in yourself and willingness to fail and willingness to go for the unknown. I think most people would be happier if they just pursued the thing that makes them happy.”

UTG: “What’s next on the radar for you?”

Griffin: “Obviously more touring to promote the album, and when Workaholics comes back again – we got picked up for four and five -hopefully I just do more commercials, more acting. I just want to continue making this my career. You like to think, ‘I’m doing the right thing’ but I guess I have to wait and see what people think. When the people do tell me that, I have to appreciative of everybody’s opinion.”

Griffin has become a mainstay on television thanks to his recurring role on Comedy Central’s “Workaholics” as the character Montez Walker. His stand-up comedy has appeared in specials like “The Payaso Comedy Slam”, Comedy Central’s “Live At Gotham”, Showtime’s “Comics Without Borders”, and the nationally syndicated “Comics Unleashed”. He has also appeared in the History Channel’s “Surviving the Holidays with Lewis Black” and the Tribeca Film Festival Documentary Just Like Us.

Erik Griffin’s Technical Foul: Volume One will be released on Tuesday, March 12^th, but you can pre-order it now at the comedian’s Pledge Music Campaign. The album is a staple for any “Workaholics” fan and a truly enjoyable experience for any comedy lover.