Check Out Patrick Richardson’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Patrick Richardson. 

Hi Patrick, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
I used to play music in bands, and I loved it, but I realized my favorite part of live shows was trying to make the crowd laugh between songs. Eventually, I saw a post about a stand-up comedy open mic in Fort Collins at an old venue called Hodi’s Halfnote–I went and signed up. I was bad. Really bad, but I was instantly hooked. That was eight years ago. I never stopped doing stand-up, and Hodi’s Halfnote, the venue where I did my first set, is now The Comedy Fort–a comedy club up in Fort Collins. Looking back, I think I was in the right place at the right time. 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I don’t think anything about grinding stand-up comedy involves a smooth road (I popped a tire on my way home from a show a couple nights ago). To be successful in stand up you need to be talented, lucky, and dumb. Being a fun hang or a hard worker also helps. It’s a road of constant ups and downs. You have to learn how to hold on to the good sets and quickly shake off the bad ones. Maybe it’s just me but my confidence is always wavering up and down. It’s tough to keep a level head in an industry that’s such a roller coaster ride. 

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I mainly perform stand-up comedy live, but I also make music and comedy videos. I also run a free comedy show every Wednesday at Ratio Beerworks in River North. I think I’m probably most known for being experimental and weird as hell. I think creatives today, especially in stand-up, can struggle to set themselves apart from their peers and those that came before them. That challenge of pushing things forward and cultivating my own voice really excites me. That’s why I love doing stand-up–being funny is a magic trick. If you’re funny, like really funny, there are no rules to the medium; you can get away with almost anything on stage. 

Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
As someone who was born in Colorado, I actually like the growth Denver has been experiencing over the last 20 years or however long. But as someone who was born in Colorado, I also hate all the growth Denver has been experiencing over the last 20 years. It’s exciting. There are a lot of great comedy shows every week in this city–a seemingly endless amount of new audience members. That energy of a burgeoning city is fun and infectious. I just also see the damage it brings to local culture. Yes, lots of folks moving here means more real estate and more wealth, but it prices out the art and culture that lives in the margins. I’ve seen hundreds of great local business get priced out of existence here in Denver. I’d like to see more regulation to protect small art spaces and local venues, so they don’t have to choose between closing and selling to a giant company. Places like the Hi-Dive and events like Denver Comedy Underground are special and should be taken care of. 

Contact Info:

• Email: patrick.richardson35@gmail.com
• Website: https://linktr.ee/patrick.piss
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/birthdaypiss/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/patrick.piss

Image Credits
Melissa Leavenworth
Andrew Bray
Zach Barnes