EAC Friday Feature: Anthony Morelli

What inspired you to pursue a career in comedy

I’ve always enjoyed making people laugh in a one on one or small group setting. I used to have a personal training studio and during workouts I would try to make my clients laugh rather than whine about the exercises. I’d do so with stories from growing up or observations about what was going on. I talked about my want to do stand up some day, but my stage fright what was held me back. Going into a room full of strangers with the expectation to make people laugh scared the hell out of me and I didn’t have any real local opportunity to practice. A client drove by JR’s Last Laugh and noticed their marquee said a open mic was happening that next week. I signed up, did alright, and got the bug to pursue more.

Name 3 comedians who have inspired you the most and why

I have to give nods to some of the greats that inspired me growing up. Chris Farley probably wasn’t the best idol to have as a child… But as a fat child who was bullied quite a bit, I watched him be unashamed of his size and use it to his advantage and make everyone laugh. Robin Williams was someone who influenced me early on in his movies. As I got to watch his stand up getting older, it was the same characters and voices I loved, but with dirtier punchlines. Now I really like to go back and watch George Carlin because of the depth that he took in writing his observations of humanity and how it still, unfortunately, strikes at the core of the injustices in America. I would feel it an injustice if I did not include my grandma June in the list though because will always be the prank and joke master in my life.

What is your process for constructing a set? From subject matter to delivery

A lot of my process is by accident. It’s hard for me to sit down and go alright now it is time to write and be funny. When I talk with friends and joke around, something funny will come out and I’ll go “I need to put that on stage,” and I’ll write it down. My personal style is story telling rather than one-liner jokes, so I’ll often build around what I’ve written down in sporadic moments and put it on stage. If the joke takes me one minute to say, I’ll try and refine that down to 15-30 seconds, and then rebuild the joke to a minute again, and try to refine it down. The refining process comes by going to open mics and getting comfortable with what you say, but also understanding what details you can cut out that aren’t really needed.

What are your artistic goals for the next 5 years?

That’s just it, it is to be artistic again. In the beginning of my pursuit, I traveled to Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Buffalo to go to open mics. It was just travel time that was the distraction and I was able to write and have my mind in the direction of creativity. Wanting to grow a local scene and starting a production company takes a lot of mental capacity towards the business side of the industry and leaves little for creative side of it. I would love to record an album, be a part of more comedy festivals and feature at clubs nationally.

How has your venue contributed to the comedy scene of Erie?

The beautiful part of how I produce comedy around Erie is working with different local venues. Black Monk Brewery was the first place to give me a chance and start booking showcases. Now it has become one of the warmest and most fun places to do comedy. Now I also get to do benefit shows with Lavery Brewing, showcases at Rosco’s Sports Bar and Grill, open mics at Outlaw Barbecue Revolution Westlake which are all locally owned and operated. The Erie community is really stepping up for the first ever comedy festival and businesses such as Room 33, Calamaris, Basement Transmissions, Andromeda Studios, and 1020 Collective are all welcoming venues for comedy shows. A Compassionate Hart Massage Therapy, The Edinboro Hotel Bar and Grandview Beer are also the first sponsors to really make sure the festival is happening and I couldn’t be more grateful to them.

Describe the Comedy scene in Erie..it’s strengths and weaknesses

The comedy scene in Erie is beginning to emerge. We had some minor momentum going pre-pandemic, but had to start from the ground up when the world re-opened. The greatest strength we have right now is the excitement building around it. People are trying it out for the first time and having fun, and that is in large part because of the community members coming to check out people practice and encouraging them. I would say the biggest weakness right now is that we are still somewhat unnoticed and there is limited ability to practice as we only have an open mic targeted at comedy twice per month. Larger cities like Buffalo, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh all have at least one comedy open mic per night, and usually two or three opportunities per week night.

What makes a great comedian?

Dedication. Dedication in the means of writing and editing and forever repeating. A lot of people forget that it is an art that needs practiced, studied and refined.

Do you feel like the art of Comedy has changed over the past few decades? If so, in what ways?

Yes and no... Now with the speed of the world and the expansion of social media, it is hard to keep up with the ever-changing way to engage your audience. But, gathering a group of people together in a room and telling jokes will always be a part of any society. Comedy has always just been someone’s observations or imagination put on stage. The only thing that has changed is the society or culture they’re in. You might hear some say that comedy itself has changed because that you can’t say what you used to anymore. To me, this is a comic admitting that they just aren’t able to write creatively enough anymore.

Do you have any advice for upcoming comedians in the city?

A lot of new comics, myself in the beginning included, seem to focus on always bringing new material to the stage at open mics. My advice is to hone in a good 5 minute set first. It goes back to how to develop a set, where you write that good 5 minute set and then refine, rebuild, refine again and continue that process. Erie isn’t the only city to do comedy, and traveling is half the fun. Going to open mics in bigger cities and being able to give your best 5 minutes helps you get noticed a lot more than trying new stuff where no one knows you.

Any final thoughts?

I think Erie is hungry for comedy and there is plenty to go around. The Flagship City Comedy Festival will help reestablish that we are a great place to come and have fun for both the comics and the audience. The festival will be Thursday April 27th through Sunday April 30th this year, and will run at least 10 shows including our headlining shows Friday night with Zimbabwean comic Learnmore Janosi, Saturday night with social media icon Brent Terhune, and Sunday night fresh off her DYKOTOMY Tour Kristen Becker. We had over 250 comics from all across the country submit so the talent levels will be off the charts. Until then, you can follow Off Constantly Comedy and check out all levels of comedy at local businesses across the city.