It’s 6:55pm on the last Wednesday of the month. The crowd files into the Ocean City Art League (located on 94th street stop in when you’re in town please). They’re anxiously awaiting another jam-packed show full of local artists waiting to perform. Backstage in a corner of the league sits a man with earbuds in. He sits on the floor listening to the same playlist as he does every time before showtime. Always the same 6 songs, ending with Calm Like a Bomb by Rage Against the Machine. The last chords fade out as it turns to 6:59. The Man takes out his earbuds and heads to the stage. He thinks about all the famous painters that have their art hung here, all the poets and flutists that have graced this stage. The man thinks about all this as he goes onto the stage and starts to do what he does best......misread the room, be wildly inappropriate and tell a bunch of fart jokes.
Man, I made that sound WAY more dramatic than it needed it to be. Hi I’m Josh Quillen and “The Man” is me. I am The Man. It’s in writing so it’s gotta be true right? I’m a comedian in the Ocean City, Maryland area, or the Delmarva area as we call it. I’ve been a comedian for about 3 years, or 2 if you don’t count 2020 (which I’m sure none of us want to do). I’ve mainly done open mics, which is the way you get into the comedy scene. I also host and perform occasionally at the Art League for my brother from another mother’s (do people still say that?) show Originals Only. We have the show on the last Wednesday of the month and it has a little something for everyone. Poets, music, comedy, a duck with a tiny top hat, a child that only speaks backwards, you name it we got it. I also am on the Autism Spectrum. I gotta say, I enjoy being on the spectrum better than what they used to say I had. It used to be called Aspergers, named after the guy who discovered it. I get it’s the dude’s name but it sounds like burgers from your.....well you get the idea. I’m trying my best to keep it rated E for Everyone.
So I’m sure you’re asking yourself “Josh, what’s it like being an autistic comedian? Isn’t it hard?” Well dear reader, the answer is yes. Also No. Also kinda? In one instance I got x=3 and I have no idea how I came to that answer. Seriously though, I actually think my autism has had a beneficial effect on my comedy. Before I get to that, let me get the negative things out of the way. There is so much more than good, and I want to focus on that, but I should give my total experiences and that includes some negatives. So as a person on the spectrum, I have trouble regulating emotions. I know shocker, right? Sometimes when I have a bad show it can overwhelm me and I’ve gone into a meltdown or two. One thing about being a comedian is reading the room and getting a good feel for your audience. Depending on the audience, you would use certain material. For example, some shows that have mostly comedians in the audience I can go all out and use every joke I have. Other times, some of my jokes aren’t appropriate for certain shows but I have a hard time figuring that out. Like you don’t want to use your sex jokes at an art gallery where the audience is mostly the elderly, so I’m told.
Now that that is out of the way, we can get to the benefits of how my autism helps my comedy. A common trait in people on the spectrum is when we get into something, we GET into something. We look up every article on the topic, every bit of information, every tape, if it’s about that subject we’re going to find it. Comedy is no different. I’ve been a fan of comedy since I saw “Dave Chappelle’s Killing Them Softly” in the 8th grade on a free HBO weekend. Dave Chappelle, in my opinion, is the greatest comedian of all time. From there I looked up some older comedians like George Carlin, Richard Pryor, etc. With the advent of YouTube, I was able to find so many videos of current, well 2006 current, comedians like Greg Giraldo, Lewis Black, Daniel Tosh’s first half hour special. I noted how their jokes were written, the cadence of their delivery, what to do if you get heckled. I was like a sponge, except the sponge was sucking up poop jokes. I don’t think I would’ve been as invested as I was if I was not on the spectrum. I also believe in routines. Routines are essential for everyone but more so for people on the spectrum. It’s that familiarity that brings a sense of calm, at least to me. I can only speak for me and my experiences. That is why it’s the Autism Spectrum. We’re not all Sheldon from Big Bang Theory (don’t even get me started). Where was I........oh yeah routines. I have the same routines before every show. Our shows start at 7 so about 6:40 I go to the most secluded room in the art league, or my car if it’s an open mic, and I turn on my pre show playlist. In case you’re wondering it’s the following songs in order:
- Not Afraid – Planet Booty
- Ticks and Leeches - Tool
- Jacob’s Ladder – Huey Lewis and THE News
- Dragon Slayer – NSP
- Enter Sandman – Metallica
- Calm Like A Bomb – Rage Against the Machine
Every show. If I don’t do this exact routine, I feel like I have a bad show. These songs are a combination of my favorite songs, favorite bands, and the song I heard before my first set. Before going onstage, still scary at times still, this sets me up to be calm and ready to go out. Otherwise, it’s just one long inner scream until I get off stage. That’s not fun for anyone, I can assure you.
So, to bring this home, I honestly don’t think I would be a comedian were I not on the spectrum. I know I’m probably not the first comedian on the spectrum. I’m sure I won't be the last. The fact that I am one is something I am immensely proud of and I wouldn’t want to be anything else. Puzzle Piece Pride y’all.
If you want to see some of my sets check out The Ocean City Art League Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/artleagueofoceancity) Every last Wednesday of the month! Even if I am not performing there are a ton of amazing local artists on the shows and when we go back to in-person shows I’ll be the host. God I hope that’s soon. You can also follow me on twitter, just search @BossBreakers, where you can see my hot takes on everything from the world of wrestling to why the Mega Man Battle Network series is the best Game Boy Advance games of all time. I’m also getting back to streaming with my friends on Twitch.tv/BossBreakersLive. We’re making a comeback. Although we never really went anywhere, we’re still making a comeback! Thanks everyone, be good people.
-Josh Quillen
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