Joe Machi has a memorable demeanor. Once you’ve seen and heard his stand-up, delivered in his high-pitched, raspy voice like a jovial grandpa while widening his already-large eyes and grinning crazily, it would be tough to mistake him for any other comic. He also punctuates his jokes by calling the audience endearing, old-timey names like “gang” and “team.”
“People always wonder if it's part of the performance, because a lot of comics in the past used a character to perform. Even today, comics like Larry The Cable Guy do,” Machi says of his voice and mannerisms. “However, for me… I guess I just seem a little unusual naturally.”
His jokes are even more memorable: his unusual delivery paired with dark, unique ideas and an avoidance of overly used joke topics have made him one of the fastest-rising comics currently based out of New York. (Here’s a snippet from his stand-up on why people today shouldn’t bemoan the state of the world: “Two hundred years ago… Most of life was having kids, and then watching them die. Then you would die [pause] of a disease you can prevent now by washing your hands.”) He’s won several comedy awards in New York, placed fourth on the eighth season of Last Comic Standing, and just last fall scored a half-hour slot for his stand-up on Comedy Central.
Machi will make his China debut with shows in Shanghai and Beijing this month thanks to Kung Fu Comedy. He was booked to perform here last year, but he failed to get a visa; this time around, KFK is determined to bring him over. “I spent two months doing shows in NYC last summer and he was one of the best acts I saw in the city,” says KFK’s Andy Curtain. “He's a hot act at the moment.”
Though he’s never performed in Asia before, Machi isn’t too concerned about how his jokes will land, or at least not more so than he would be for a show in the US. “They're all written because I think they're funny,” he says of his jokes. “Even an American audience is broad and diverse in what type of jokes they like or don't like.”
"A stereotype is a joke that's been told so many times that all you need is the punch line. Sure, you can get big laughs, but you're only telling people ideas they've already heard."
Machi also participates in a popular podcast with two other comedians called Keeping Joe, which has hosted major comics like Amy Schumer as guests. He bristles when asked about it, however.
“I hate doing podcasts,” he says. “I would prefer only performing stand-up. No social media, interviews, television, podcasts, etc. But today, audiences are so fragmented due to technology. You can't just sit back and hope people go to your show. You have to grab fans in lots of different ways or you'll be telling jokes to yourself.”
This purist view toward stand-up also reveals itself in Machi’s stance on originality in comedy—he’s spoken out often about the pitfalls of relying on material and subjects that comics know the audience will find funny, rather than pushing boundaries toward more unusual material; it leads to a boring, homogenous comedy scene.
“Take ethnic or gender stereotype jokes,” he says, on why he avoids them. “A stereotype is a joke that's been told so many times that all you need is the punch line. Sure, you can get big laughs, but you're only telling people ideas they've already heard. I love hearing a joke that rearranges the logic we're used to hearing.”
Shanghai: June 9, 8.30pm, June 10, 8pm and 10pm, RMB170 presale, RMB200 door. Kung Fu Komedy Club, see event listing.
Beijing: June 11, 8pm, RMB100 for students, RMB150 presale, RMB180 door. The Bookworm, see event listing.
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