Mark Normand Interview
BY PETER NOMELAND
Mark Normand is a New Orleans-born stand-up comedian. He is currently on tour with two shows at the Pantages Theater in Minneapolis. He has recently released a special called “Out to Lunch” and hosts an interview podcast with fellow comic Sam Morril called “We Must Be Drunk.”
How's the tour going?
Tour is going great; I seriously can’t complain and living the dream. I’m living the best of both worlds since I’m still working out in clubs but also getting a taste at the theater life.
How has it been back on the road this past year?
I love the road; it’s great – comedy is in a huge boom right now, but I should be grateful on how it’s going even though I’m constantly thinking about the possibility of it all going away. It’s always blood, guts, and gore on the news, so people are wanting to laugh. I love it!
Every comic I’ve seen live has said Minneapolis is one of the best audiences in the country. Is that true or are they just being nice?
I think they’re great – Acme is a killer club and continues to make the list of best clubs for comics to visit. This will be my first time headlining a theater in Minneapolis, so I’m excited for it. I will say it’s a bit nippy here in Minnesota, but I’m ready to have fun. Two shows baby!
You self-released a very funny comedy special in 2020. What was the thought process behind that decision?
It was a huge failure at first – I was trying to sell it to every streaming service and said let’s put it on Youtube as a last-ditch effort. Felt like I got denied by everyone at the bar and left with my aunt – now I love my aunt. What once felt like a failure became my launching pad.
Your podcast “We Might Be Drunk” with fellow comic Sam Morrill is the only podcast I can think of with an open bar. How did that idea come about?
Well, we used to drink quite a bit together because we both came up at the same time. Only time we’d get to hang out is after shows because we’d be writing all day, then hit the NY circuit – it always ended with, “One more drink?”. That was the first iteration of the pod; then someone had that name, so we came up with “We Might Be Drunk.” There’s a real health kick in the comic community right now, and sometimes feels like we’re the last ones – this also helps us share a drink with the ones still boozing.
What's your favorite drink you’ve made on the show?
It’s gotta be the paper plane – it’s a classic whiskey drink that’s underrated, not too shabby with Bodega Cat I might add.
Who’s the dream guest on the show, and what would you make for them?
We’ve had some of the best in the biz – Bert, Bill Burr, Lewis Black, and that’s only a few to name. Dream guests keep coming; I mean we’d love Doug Stanhope, Brian Regan, Roy Wood Jr, Michael Che, Michelle Wolf. In terms of what we would make, we do the research to make it a good hang – we hit them up and see what they like, and a catered drink always makes for a better conversation.