Buffalo Comedy: An interview with comedian Derrick Stroup, who will be performing live at Helium Comedy Club tonight.

By Jason Pomietlasz

(Above: Derrick Stroup, via @actinstroupid on Facebook).

Derrick Stroup will be at Helium Comedy Club this Thursday, 7 p.m. and was kind enough to answer some questions.

An Alabama native and Waffle House enthusiast, Stroup seems to be having a good time touring the country with Nate Bargatze and Bert Kreischer.

And as you can tell from his answers, he is a pretty positive person and a food lover. He just recorded his first comedy special, which will be available on Netflix soon.

Visit https://www.derrickstroupcomedy.com to hear his funny bit on crock pots or for his tour schedule. 

If there was one thing you could change about the current state of stand-up comedy, what would it be?

“Social Media is such a heavy factor in standup these days and it’s a bummer. You gotta sell your soul online with self-promotion and endless clips and it gets exhausting and gross sometimes. It’s not gonna change and the world we live in so I should just suck it up but that is something I hate about the state of comedy right now.”

Do you think everyone should dine in a Waffle House at least once to experience Waffle House culture?

“Yeah you should. Anthony Bourdain did it and loved it. You can find the episode online. It’s a special place and sometimes it gets a little wild and that’s part of the charm. I don’t go very late and often go for breakfast so I don’t see the stuff they love to play online. In my younger days, it was a different story. Nonetheless, Waffle House is one of if not the most consistent meals you can get in the country and I appreciate that a lot.”

The northeast part of the county has produced some great comics. Do you think that’s shifting to the South now?

“No, I mean Boston isn’t the pipeline it used to be but NYC is still king. I live there now and it’s the best scene out there. I started in what I consider to be the second best scene in America, which is Denver, Co. Southerners are naturally the funniest people in America. I say that all the time. It’s just not a place where people dream of being comics as much as maybe the NE and it doesn’t have the resources show-wise and clu- wise to get into like they want. Most Southern comics had to leave at least a little while to get some traction. It’s tough to just stay there the whole time and pull it off. So I guess what I’m saying is, the South and country folks in general honestly will always be the funniest people but the NE is still the best place to master your craft IMO.”

How important is “the hang” for you and do you have a dream person you would want to hang out with in the green room?

“The hang is great but not something I long for. It is part of what makes being a comic fun and being at a show fun is the hangs. Sometimes I’m a great hang and sometimes I’m buried in my thoughts or my phone. Depends on the night. I’m not always “on” off stage. I have a switch. Alive: Bill Burr, dead: Robin Williams.”

Did you ever consider quitting comedy and if so what was your back-up plan? 

Never thought about it, and never ever had a back up plan. It was comedy or die in the fetal position covered in Burger King wrappers with 5 roommates. Backup plans are a built in excuse to give up.”

How do you feel about “social media comics” who get booked on the strength of their following? 

“Social media can get anybody a booking, once. You’re gonna have to bring yourself back.” 

What are the top two things you have learned from watching Nate Bargatze? 

“Be prepared and help your friends when you get to the top.”

What was the best advice you received when you started standup? 

“Introduce yourself at the beginning of every set so they know who’s telling the jokes. You don’t have to use vulgar language to be funny.”