The Circle of Comedy with Melissa McGillicuddy
Explicit content warning
06/03/22 • 58 min
Comedian Melissa McGillicuddy (Voted best comedian, Sacramento News & Review 2019) will be headlining at the Comedy Edge Saturday, June 18th and I was happy to have the chance to grab her for a conversation about how she got her start in comedy even though she's shy, hear her worst stories of bombing and her tips for writing great material.
Get tickets to see Melissa at the Comedy Edge in Oakland, June 18th, 2022 >>
About Melissa
Melissa McGillicuddy is a stand-up comedian based in Sacramento, California. As a newcomer to the scene in 2015, she won the Wildcard Competition at the Sacramento Comedy Festival. Since then, Melissa has performed at SF Sketchfest, the World Series of Comedy, and colleges all across the country. She has also opened for talented comedians such as Cameron Esposito, River Butcher, and Vicki Barbolak. Being an only child raised by a single mom in a conservative town, Melissa found she didn’t always fit in, so she used humor as a way to connect with people. Her dry wit and unique perspective on life make her a hit with audiences everywhere. Melissa also co-produces the Moving Van Show, a monthly, secret pop-up comedy show, as well as Sacramento FemmeFest, the city's first all-female comedy festival. In 2019, Melissa was voted best comedian by the Sacramento News & Review. Follow her on Instagram: @meowlissamcg
About Holly Shaw
Before becoming a comedian, Holly Shaw spent a lifetime on stage, T.V. and film as an actor, professional dancer and later as a speaker, coach and hypnotherapist. She's authored two books: the Amazon bestseller, The Creative Formula, as well as the newly released book, Making Art In the Middle of Madness and she was a regular teacher at SAG/AFTRA's conservatories in San Francisco as well as Los Angeles. Her podcast, Performers & Creators Lab, was named One of the Most Outstanding Podcasts of 2019 by Databird Research. Through all of her offerings she has helped thousands of performing artists, some of them Emmy Award winning and Grammy nominated, overcome stage fright, impostor syndrome, and creative blocks so that they can create the work they were born to make and become undeniably magnetic performers. Currently she lives in Oakland, CA where she runs and performs in the live weekly comedy showcase on the waterfront, the Comedy Edge. To learn more, please visit www.performersandcreatorslab.com
Composer
Dan Cantrell is an Emmy award winning composer and multi-instrumentalist known for his innovative film scoring approach, and his virtuosic abilities on the accordion, piano and musical saw. “Hauntingly beautiful...quirky and energetic” says the San Francisco Bay Guardian. His extensive scoring catalogue spans a wide range of emotion and style. Dan’s compositions for film and television have earned him numerous awards including an Emmy Award for KQED’s Home-Front,a Golden Gate award for the soundtrack to the documentary Divided Loyalties, and an Annie nomination for his work on three seasons of Cartoon Network’s the Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack. Visit bellowhead.com
Comedian Melissa McGillicuddy (Voted best comedian, Sacramento News & Review 2019) will be headlining at the Comedy Edge Saturday, June 18th and I was happy to have the chance to grab her for a conversation about how she got her start in comedy even though she's shy, hear her worst stories of bombing and her tips for writing great material.
Get tickets to see Melissa at the Comedy Edge in Oakland, June 18th, 2022 >>
About Melissa
Melissa McGillicuddy is a stand-up comedian based in Sacramento, California. As a newcomer to the scene in 2015, she won the Wildcard Competition at the Sacramento Comedy Festival. Since then, Melissa has performed at SF Sketchfest, the World Series of Comedy, and colleges all across the country. She has also opened for talented comedians such as Cameron Esposito, River Butcher, and Vicki Barbolak. Being an only child raised by a single mom in a conservative town, Melissa found she didn’t always fit in, so she used humor as a way to connect with people. Her dry wit and unique perspective on life make her a hit with audiences everywhere. Melissa also co-produces the Moving Van Show, a monthly, secret pop-up comedy show, as well as Sacramento FemmeFest, the city's first all-female comedy festival. In 2019, Melissa was voted best comedian by the Sacramento News & Review. Follow her on Instagram: @meowlissamcg
About Holly Shaw
Before becoming a comedian, Holly Shaw spent a lifetime on stage, T.V. and film as an actor, professional dancer and later as a speaker, coach and hypnotherapist. She's authored two books: the Amazon bestseller, The Creative Formula, as well as the newly released book, Making Art In the Middle of Madness and she was a regular teacher at SAG/AFTRA's conservatories in San Francisco as well as Los Angeles. Her podcast, Performers & Creators Lab, was named One of the Most Outstanding Podcasts of 2019 by Databird Research. Through all of her offerings she has helped thousands of performing artists, some of them Emmy Award winning and Grammy nominated, overcome stage fright, impostor syndrome, and creative blocks so that they can create the work they were born to make and become undeniably magnetic performers. Currently she lives in Oakland, CA where she runs and performs in the live weekly comedy showcase on the waterfront, the Comedy Edge. To learn more, please visit www.performersandcreatorslab.com
Composer
Dan Cantrell is an Emmy award winning composer and multi-instrumentalist known for his innovative film scoring approach, and his virtuosic abilities on the accordion, piano and musical saw. “Hauntingly beautiful...quirky and energetic” says the San Francisco Bay Guardian. His extensive scoring catalogue spans a wide range of emotion and style. Dan’s compositions for film and television have earned him numerous awards including an Emmy Award for KQED’s Home-Front,a Golden Gate award for the soundtrack to the documentary Divided Loyalties, and an Annie nomination for his work on three seasons of Cartoon Network’s the Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack. Visit bellowhead.com
Previous Episode
The Sharp Edge of Honesty with Mean Dave
Comedian Mean Dave will be headlining at the Comedy Edge next Saturday, May 28th so I decided to sit down with him and see what goes on inside that funny head. In our convo we talk about comedy, writing, his journey with addiction and more!
Get tickets to see Mean Dave at the Comedy Edge, Saturday May 28th, 2022>>
About Mean Dave
Stand-up comedian Mean Dave is a regular Cobb's Comedy Club, Punch Line in San Francisco and Sacramento, and Rooster T. Feathers. He has opened for headliners such as Judy Tenuta, Big Jay Oakerson, Allan Havey, Tom Rhodes, and Josh Blue. He is also the illustrator of the children’s book “Once Upon An Accommodation: A Book About Learning Disabilities.” Mean Dave has performed with the Comedians with Disabilities Act as an addict in recovery from drugs and alcohol. He also appears in Nina G’s book “Stutterer Interrupted: The Comedian Who Almost Didn’t Happen,” and he performs with Nina at colleges and events across the US. The two talk about being an ally to people with disabilities and bring a unique perspective to disability awareness. Follow him on Instagram @mean_dave
About Holly Shaw
Before becoming a comedian, Holly Shaw spent a lifetime on stage, T.V. and film as an actor, professional dancer and later as a speaker, coach and hypnotherapist. She's authored two books: the Amazon bestseller, The Creative Formula, as well as the newly released book, Making Art In the Middle of Madness and she was a regular teacher at SAG/AFTRA's conservatories in San Francisco as well as Los Angeles. Her podcast, Performers & Creators Lab, was named One of the Most Outstanding Podcasts of 2019 by Databird Research. Through all of her offerings she has helped thousands of performing artists, some of them Emmy Award winning and Grammy nominated, overcome stage fright, impostor syndrome, and creative blocks so that they can create the work they were born to make and become undeniably magnetic performers. Currently she lives in Oakland, CA where she runs and performs in the live weekly comedy showcase on the waterfront, the Comedy Edge. To learn more, please visit www.performersandcreatorslab.com
Composer
Dan Cantrell is an Emmy award winning composer and multi-instrumentalist known for his innovative film scoring approach, and his virtuosic abilities on the accordion, piano and musical saw. “Hauntingly beautiful...quirky and energetic” says the San Francisco Bay Guardian. His extensive scoring catalogue spans a wide range of emotion and style. Dan’s compositions for film and television have earned him numerous awards including an Emmy Award for KQED’s Home-Front,a Golden Gate award for the soundtrack to the documentary Divided Loyalties, and an Annie nomination for his work on three seasons of Cartoon Network’s the Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack. Visit bellowhead.com
Next Episode
The Creative Life with Emma Arnold
Forbes magazine called her, “One of the hardest working comics in the industry.” Listen as I get into it with comedian Emma Arnold about how she writes so much so fast, life on the road, and is she quitting comedy for real this time?See Emma Arnold live at the Comedy Edge: Stand-Up on the Waterfront in Oakland! Saturday, July 16th - get tickets now>>Emma Arnold is an Idaho backcountry-raised comedian, author, artist, and beekeeper. Her self-produced comedy special, "Yes, Please" (financially backed by comedy legends Bobcat Goldthwait and Dana Gould) has millions of views on youtube and she put out four standup comedy albums with Blonde Medicine Records in as many years. She co-founded/directed two wildly popular comedy festivals and was recently featured in Forbes Magazine, who called her, “One of the hardest working comics in the industry.” In addition to touring, she has a popular podcast and Patreon and is mom to three giant sons. Equal parts outrageous, thoughtful, engaging and honest, whatever the medium, Emma's work is electric and straight from the heart. When not touring, she lives in Boise, where she keeps bees and children with varying degrees of success. Follow her on Instagram: @EmmaArnoldisakeeper
Before becoming a comedian, Holly Shaw spent a lifetime on stage, T.V. and film as an actor, professional dancer and later as a speaker, coach and hypnotherapist. She's authored two books: the Amazon bestseller, The Creative Formula, as well as the newly released book, Making Art In the Middle of Madness and she was a regular teacher at SAG/AFTRA's conservatories in San Francisco as well as Los Angeles. Her podcast, Performers & Creators Lab, was named One of the Most Outstanding Podcasts of 2019 by Databird Research. Through all of her offerings she has helped thousands of performing artists, some of them Emmy Award winning and Grammy nominated, overcome stage fright, impostor syndrome, and creative blocks so that they can create the work they were born to make and become undeniably magnetic performers. Currently she lives in Oakland, CA where she runs and performs in the live weekly comedy showcase on the waterfront, the Comedy Edge. To learn more, please visit www.performersandcreatorslab.com
Dan Cantrell is an Emmy award winning composer and multi-instrumentalist known for his innovative film scoring approach, and his virtuosic abilities on the accordion, piano and musical saw. “Hauntingly beautiful...quirky and energetic” says the San Francisco Bay Guardian. His extensive scoring catalogue spans a wide range of emotion and style. Dan’s compositions for film and television have earned him numerous awards including an Emmy Award for KQED’s Home-Front,a Golden Gate award for the soundtrack to the documentary Divided Loyalties, and an Annie nomination for his work on three seasons of Cartoon Network’s the Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack. Visit bellowhead.com
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