Comedian Sean Patton moved to the Big Apple in 2007 after a short stint in LA. The big bad city in the East was beckoning him and he decided to take it on headfirst. Originally from New Orleans, Patton has been working the New York comedy scene for almost 5 years now and doesn’t seem to be going anywhere soon. Check him out now before you have to give up your first born for a ticket.

Times Square (TS): When did you first realize you were funny?

Sean Patton (SP): Like everybody, growing up. Being able to make people laugh was a self-defense and a winning friends thing at the same time. It was just a matter of acting on it at a certain point.

TS: Have you always had strong support from family and friends?

SP: I had to convince them I could do comedy first. I had to earn their support, which ultimately was better than having it right away. I had to prove it to them, then to the rest of the word and to myself last.

TS: Was there a specific moment that you decided to pursue comedy 100%?

SP: I was so nervous to actually do stand up comedy that when I finally did, I got offstage it was like, “ok I have to do that forever or never again”. The idea of never doing it again was ridiculous, so it became my lifestyle.

TS: Where do you get most of your material? What makes you laugh?

SP: Just life, I don’t have any certain style. A lot of people ask me what my style is and I tell them “I don’t know. Come see me perform and you tell me what my style is”. I experience what I experience and that’s what I talk about.

TS: What’s your process like?

SP: I would love to say I’m a comedian that just goes up there with nothing planned and says everything on the fly, but I’m not. I have a certain amount of planned material that I’m always adding to, I think the journey of a comedian is to just always be creating material. I try to switch it up as much as possible, not just for the audiences’ sake but also for my sake. I don’t want be talking about the same stuff over and over again. Even if I’m doing a club for two nights I’ll switch up the order for the second night. Freshness is a big thing to me.

TS: Who are you inspired by?

SP: There are tons of comedians I’m inspired by like Louis CK and sketch shows like Mr. Show. They really inspired me and my sense of humor. Really, some of the funniest people that have truly inspired me are friends and family. My dad and my best friend are some of the funniest people I know. Every time I talk to them, they continue to inspire me.

TS: What do you wish audiences knew about comedy?

SP: I wish all audiences treated comedy as if it was a movie that occasionally asked them questions. It’s 2012 so it seems like everyone would understand the rules and it’s amazing to me how many people still don’t get it. They show up and talk loudly, when their cell phone rings they pick it up and say “hey i’m at a comedy show”. You get a lot of that. I’ve also experienced a room of people who have never laughed in their lives. Ultimately at the end of the day all you can do is look in the mirror, smack yourself in the face and move on.

TS: Ok, strange question but, you tweet a lot. Can you talk a little about the new art that is the “twitter joke”?

SP: Like everyone else in the world I thought it was the dumbest sh*t on earth when it first came out, learning to be funny in 140 characters doesn’t sound very challenging but it really is. Some people are amazing at Twitter and then you put them onstage and they seem like they’ve never heard of stand up and vice versa. I’ve un-followed comedians because they think it’s just an opportunity to try out all their bad jokes. There is definitely craft involved and I appreciate it. Somebody said “brevity is the soul of wit” and they were definitely right. It’s a cool way to remind yourself to be brief, get to the point. Make that one count

TS: What would you be doing if you weren’t doing comedy?

SP: I’ve thought about it. There have been times where I’ve been like ”wtf am I doing?” and “what else can i do?”. I think I’d be an author. Or a chef or and FBI agent. Chef because food is awesome and I’m all about it. FBI agent because I’m also all about secrets and missions. You know, uncovering the truth, busting bad dudes and bringing them down. I got it. I would be an author who writes books about chefs who are actually FBI agents.

TS: How is the New York comedy scene different from New Orleans?

SP: Well for starters it’s about 50 times the size. It’s huge. There are maybe 20 comedians in New Orleans, there’s no comedy clubs. You just did you thing at music venues and coffee shops. Everyone was just doing it for the love of it. In New York you do it for the love but in NYC is everybody is a comedian. There’s a club on every corner and show at every bar. Comedy was a special thing in New Orleans, only the real hip showed up. In New York it’s like you land at JFK and there’s a show going on. I love it though.

TS: What do you love about New York?

SP: My favorite thing about New York that does not exist anywhere else is the element of spontaneity. In New York you can just wake up and go get coffee and cut to 10 hrs later you’re at a rooftop party in Brooklyn slamming beers with 5 rowdy New Zealanders and you’ve just joined a folk band. You just never know. You don’t need a plan in New York. Just go, be and live. Walk outside and live. Everywhere else requires some sort of strategy. In New York just get up, drink lots of water. Don’t be an asshole and don’t die.

TS: What does 2012 look like for you?

SP: Apparently warm weather. Rooting for Eli because he’s from New Orleans and I like that he is perpetually the underdog. I always say “this is the year where I do something monumental in the world of comedy” and that will be my outlook for the rest of my life. I’m constantly trying to change it all, push it further than I’ve already pushed it, coming up with more, better comedy and trying to get it out there.

Check out Sean Patton’s show coming up on Tuesday February 7th at Carolines on Broadway. Also, follow him on twitter at mrseanpatton for his latest 140 character insights.

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