Video may have killed the radio star, but it certainly didn’t kill the comedian – Canadian funnyman Alex Nussbaum is proof of that.
Toronto’s Nussbaum released his first comedy album in 2006 called Absolutely Free! which is not actually free – what else would you expect from a comedian?
Nussbaum said he originally put together the album in case anyone wanted to buy it when he was on tour at that time. When he found out that the album was being played on heavy rotation on Sirius XM Radio’s comedy channels, he decided to make another one.
“I was not doing stand up for about a year and a half, and then I decided to get back into it and get comfortable doing it again,” said Nussbaum. “Then I started writing some material for the new album. Now I’m back and excited to be touring with the new material.”
A Number of Bits is the latest album from Nussbaum and was released this past June. It can be purchased through his website or iTunes.
He has a number of shows all over Canada throughout the summer and early September to promote the album.
Nussbaum has appeared on CTV/Comedy Network’s Comedy Now and Just for Laughs, Vancouver Comedyfest and MuchMusic’s Video On Trial.
He also provides character voices for animated programs on Teletoon and the Cartoon Network.
Nussbaum said having material played on the radio is nice because it becomes a source of income with royalties comedians receive for their work. He also pointed out that it ends up being an incentive for comedians to write new material and keep things fresh.
“You can easily get into the comfort zone of having your act and just touring,” he said. “If you know it’s being played and played a lot on the radio, it starts turning into the idea of creating content, rather than simply having an act.”
That is something Nussbaum said he is excited by and has changed the way he looks at his material.
“It’s not just a matter of whether the material works, it’s a matter of each joke. Every joke can potentially be an income stream,” he said. “I think it is good for comedy. It forces comics to work harder and come up with new ideas.”
Nussbaum has been testing out new ideas with a critically-acclaimed appearance at the 2013 Toronto Fringe Festival that NOW magazine listed at the top of “25 things you can’t miss at this year’s fest.”
“I got into the Fringe and it was fun and it was a success. I could see myself doing it again,”said Nussbaum.
“I like doing different things,” explained Nussbaum, who mentioned he might get into making some short films and quasi-documentaries. “I’m kind of trying to figure out what my next move will be.”
One of those next moves he said would most likely be another album, something he said he would like to do on a regular basis.
Nussbaum is bringing his ‘bits’ to Cochrane at the Hideout Pub July 19.
Joining him will be comedian Andrew Albert who has performed at the Just for Laughs festival and the Boston Comedy Festival.
