Mia Jackson Brings Comedy to Third Street Market

×

Expand

Photo Via MiaJackson.com

Mia Jackson

The event that preceded Mia Jackson's dedication to comedy as her life’s work is one for which she may have created a new word.  

Watch for her novel turn of phrase as she describes her transition from a career in big business to one getting big laughs: “There wasn’t any corporate job I was really going to be serious about making a career of after I found comedy. My last full-time job was as a corporate trainer and it was fine, probably the most fulfilling of any day job I had, but it still was never going to top stand-up. They knew it, too, and we eventually agreed on my quit-tirement, basically I quit internally, way before they fired me." 

“They” of the company where she was a trainer may not have anticipated a dedicated employee's quit-tirement after a friend informed her of a local comedy open mic. But it turned out to be comedy’s gain. Jackson will perform at The Starlight Room inside Third Street Market on Friday April 19 and Saturday April 20 for 8 p.m. shows.  

Jackson's young adulthood of been in the corporate world but she grew up in a family surrounded by family at no loss for quick quips.  

Crazy Family Stories 

“My parents both have pretty good senses of humor. My dad is animated, and he’s going to tell you a joke or tell you some crazy stories. My mom is more sly and quiet, but still very funny. My sister is probably funnier than all of us. She says stuff in casual conversations where I’m just floored,” Jackson shares. Her current employment isn’t what might have been predicted from her early behavior though. “I was a little bookworm growing up and an only child until I was 12, which means I was a little annoying. I don’t think either of my parents had any idea that I’d pursue comedy as a career,” she remembers.  

As Jackson grew into the more outgoing personality she embodies her artistry, her physical body grew as well. Her six-foot stature might not be apparent when one sees her Comedy Central special or shorter segments of her material on screen. Learning to address people who’d give her grief for height is one activity that has whetted her whit and which she continues to utilize in her act.  

“My height prepped me early to always have a response of some kind, which is helpful for the stage,” she recalls. “You have to be quick on your feet if someone decides to heckle; please don’t heckle!) Growing up, anytime you stand out in any kind of way you’re going to have kids teasing and saying things. I’d have to have something ready to disarm people because if you’ve heard one tall joke, you’ve heard them all. It seems unbelievable but there were still people who’d say 'How’s the weather up there?' Come on, I know you got something better than that, right? But no, they did not."   

 Jackson's willingness to joke about being tall is but one aspect of how she is a comedian who comes off as a buddy who happens to be really funny. “I think it all goes back to touching on the raw emotion of something. We’ve all been insecure, or mad, or embarrassed or wrong about something and finding jokes or stories like that in my life lets people know they aren’t the only ones who are experiencing these things. I’m not doing any life-changing material over here, but I think it’s fun for people to go "Oh wow, that person on stage is just like me. I want people to feel like they just had a fun time hanging out with a friend.”   

Sharpening Skills 

One friend Jackson has made on her way to headliner status is fellow comic Amy Schumer. And Schumer has proven herself to be a good friend to have when it comes to sharpening her comedic skills.  

Of her first encounter with Schumer at the Punchline comedy club in Jackson's hometown of Atlanta, she recalls, “I was hosting and she was headlining and we got along right away. We stayed in touch over the years, and I got the opportunity to open for her on a couple of her tours and it was a great experience.” As for what she has learned from Schumer, Jackson recollects, “She puts in the work. I watched her night after night. I could see the different tweaks she made to jokes as the tour progressed.” Her association with a New York senator’s cousin boosted Jackson’s work ethic, too.  "I tend to slack off from time to time and don’t always take notes like I should and seeing her be so dedicated at that level made me get back to doing those things again."  

 As Jackson celebrates her tenth anniversary as a full-time comic, she offers a unique perspective that resonates broadly. “Even if the audience is getting a story or joke from my specific view as a Black woman raised in the South, you’ll still be able to find something that you can relate to because there are just some things that are universal experiences. If you come to the show you’re going to have a good time, because I’m hilarious, and I’m bringing a very funny opener by the name of Byron Austin.”  

For updates on Jackson, follow her on Instagram at @miacomedy.   

And for some laughs from her before her Starlight Room dates, get an earful of her facing up to her food addiction recalling an unfortunate episode involving a George Foreman grill and processed meat products ...