All Credit Goes to Nate Craig
Many people have plenty of problems with President Trump, but Nate Craig may have a new one to mention.
“I never see him laugh…” says the comedian and Wisconsin native who will be taking the stage at The Underground Collaborative (161 W. Wisconsin Ave.) Saturday, Dec. 21, for an 8:30 p.m. show. “That’s my number one problem with the president.” But Craig does his part to equalize people with more power and those with less by making them both targets of his humor. “Punching up is making fun of powerful people. Punching down is making fun of someone less fortunate. Honestly, when it's done well, I think it can all be funny.”
And though politics, among other topics, can be divisive, Craig sees his job as finding a rare oasis of unity. “I think comedy is primarily a release. Being a human is a wild reality. People try all different things to deal with their reality. But everyone can agree on laughter,” Craig emphasizes. And we may as well laugh while we still have breath. Or, as Craig puts it, “We’re just monkeys and will be gone soon. To quote the late, great Brody Stevens, ‘Enjoy it!’”
Stevens isn't the only deceased comic that Craig rates highly. It’s been 11 years since George Carlin, the man who made Craig want to make comedy his livelihood, passed away, but the memory of his lively, caustic energy lives on. “Always loved Carlin,” Craig beams. About the time he got to see his early comedic hero perform, he adds, “He was so unapologetic and got people so riled up about the truth. I only got to see him once. I went by myself to the Rosemount Theatre. After the show started, I ran up and sat in the front row; it was awesome. It was his Life is Worth Losing tour. Underrated special. He gets real dark.”
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On Wisconsin
Craig also gives credit to his Badger State upbringing for developing his sense of humor. “I don't know why Wisconsin had such a long history of funny people. Same as Canada, maybe. Being shut indoors for half the year forms healthy imaginations, I think.” Of his specific genesis as a funny man, he relates, “Grew up on the West Side of Madison and went to [University of] Wisconsin. I used to crush in preschool. Had the kids rolling. Then, I got chubby and had perfect buck teeth in middle school. Those are solid fundamental qualities for a young comic.”
He may be joshing about keeping his fellow preschoolers in stitches, but not about maintaining a connection with his hometown. “I do shows back home about once a year. This year, I’ll be at the Majestic Theater Friday, Dec. 27, at 9 p.m. My friends will be there, and I always remind them I'm a local hero,” Craig ribs.
And if being a touring comedian with three albums to his name and past writing for shows on Comedy Central and MTV isn’t heroic enough for Craig, he can now add acting to his qualifications for valor. Having a role in the Netflix science fiction limited series “Maniac” seems to have abetted the focus he gives to his main profession of stand-up. Of the opportunity, he says, “‘Maniac’ was an incredible experience. Acting for the camera like that is so specific. It misses nothing. You have to know who the character is and be in the moment. Stand-up, it’s kind of like that.”
“If anything, it taught me to be more patient. Audiences listen closely, too. Overselling can work, but it can also take a crowd out of the moment. On set, there’s more pressure. One hundred people just busted their butts to get the take ready to shoot. You better get it right.” Craig's next acting job will also come via a Netflix cartoon series; he realizes it may be an uphill battle to find steady gigs in the field with which he’s become enamored. Of where he can next be heard, if not seen on the streaming service, he remarks, “I’ll be doing a voice on the upcoming season of ‘F Is for Family.’ Hopefully, I get to do a lot more acting work, but it’s a very competitive business.”
One competition Craig hopefully won’t be entering any time soon again is that for the romantic attention of a woman. About his recent nuptials, he boasts, “Just got married last month! I’m madly in love with the most wonderful woman I’ve ever known.”
Search around YouTube, however, and much of Craig shtick about his life as a ladies’ man, for better and worse, can be seen. And though comedians can project magnetism similar to that of musicians, being hilarious rather than tuneful isn’t as apt to land a funny guy any groupies. Such had been Craig’s experience, though, he observes, “It’s way different. Bands have it much easier. As a comic, sometimes it’s your job to say too much. Women like funny guys, but there's a difference between meeting a charming, funny, normal person and dating a stand-up comic. So, there are barriers, and rightfully so. It’s our job to talk about character flaws. Musicians get to hide theirs.”
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Craig’s diplomatic stance on affairs of the heart extends to the rest of his life, and he can still find fodder for laughter in it. “I think most comics battle with their decisions. A comedy career is a difficult choice. I’m a confident guy for the most part, but it doesn't take much for the world to put me in my place. Most of the time, it’s deserved. Sometimes not. I think both are hilarious,” Craig says.
Craig offers a sweet bonus for those who come out to see him at The Underground Collaborative. Looking forward to his performance, he offers, “The crowd will be loose, and I will be looser. I have a ton of new stuff I’ve been writing and have really been looking forward to doing it at the Underground. If you come out, I’ll send you the special for free when it's out next month!”
From his days as a bachelor, here’s Craig relating his encounter with an especially flippant nurse during a clinic visit to check for STDs:
