Damon Millard Live from Laughing Tap

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Photo via Damon Millard - damonmillard.com

Damon Millard

Damon Millard

“Oh crap, this dude leveled up his game!”

That’s what Damon Millard wants those who already know of his comedic artistry to say upon seeing the set he composed for his first stand-up special. But he has every intention of bringing newcomers into his throng with his new material, too. 

“It’s time I let people know I’m here,” Millard declares of the special he will record at The Laughing Tap during 7:30 p.m. shows on Friday Dec. 1 and Saturday Dec. 2. 

“I’ve been knocking at the door for 14 years and nobody knows who TF I am,” Millard laments, But notwithstanding his goal of ascending to a household name—at least among comedy lovers—what Millard will proffer in his presentation at the Tap isn't far removed from his usual funny business. 

“To me, this special is just me knocking a little louder than normal. I want to be let into that exclusive club of comedy greats because I know I deserve a spot at the table. My comedy career is the proverbial stuck-candy bar in a vending machine,” Millard claims by way of tantalizing analogy. However, his determination compels him to declare of his upcoming video, “I have always made my own noise, and this is just another incident of that.” 

Comedic Noise

As it has been from the onset of his career at The Miramar Theatre 14 years ago, Millard’s comedic noise is of a highly personal nature that draws his audiences into more universal themes. “I don’t want to give too much away in this area, I can say, ‘It’s moody, existential, more sophisticated in themes, storytelling, and maturity than my previously released hour,’” says Millard, comparing the new show with his 2016 Comedy Dynamics album, Pain, Shame & Love. “If my previous album was a coming-of-age story, this one is about making our way in the adult world, dealing with the day-to-day absurdities of paying bills and getting through life.” 

Millard goes so far as to draw an evolutionary, even predatory, parallel to describe his growth as a comic. “It’s like that picture of Darwinism: On my first album, I was an ape. Now I’m a Neanderthal—and just stay tuned for what’s next. I am a bigger beast now.” 

He is, however, a beast without a firm plan of conquest. That is to say, Millard is amassing material for his special, with plans to later release it as an audio album, before having a firm distribution plan. 

“If I was in demand this is something that I could have been working on all along,” Millard says, “but because I am an unknown, the best and only avenue for me is to get to the finished product and then see if I can find an interested distributor.” His confidence comes to the fore when he adds, “I really don't have any reason to believe I couldn’t be sitting right there on your Netflix app alongside other comedians who have gotten the big thumbs up from the industry. I know damn well the show is good enough, and the video quality will be professional enough to be on a major platform. But I’m still knocking on that door.”     

As for the venue where his special will be shot, Millard can’t speak highly enough of it. “The Laughing Tap is my home,” he gushes. “Greg (Bach), Kaitlyn (McCarthy), and Matt (Kemple) have always had my back,” Millard says of The Laughing Tap and Milwaukee Comedy partners. “They have always encouraged me, and when I’m in that club, there is a whole layer of neurotic thoughts I don’t have to deal with like I do at other places.” "

Though Millard lives elsewhere nowadays, coming up in the city and his dedication to the scene here compels him to say, "Milwaukee is in my comedy blood and can never be removed."

Here is previous Laughing Tap performance by Millard, referencing both his current New York City residence and how he may have been on the cusp of opening doors to his comedy career, but opening actual doors for others ...