Lincoln Lodge is bringing out comedian James Adomian to town, and things will never be the same.
Adomian—best known for NBC's Last Comic Standing and multiple appearances on Comedy Central—is half of Trump vs. Bernie, which turned into a number-one album recorded live in Brooklyn. His Low Hangin Fruit comedy album might have the best title ever, and his voiceover work has been heard on American Dad, Venture Brothers and Disney's Future Worm.
Windy City Times: Do you come to Chicago often?
James Adomian: Generally, I do shows there twice a year. This year I was only there for a wedding. [Laughs]
WCT: You were born in Omaha, but where did you grow up?
JA: Atlanta, then LA.
WCT: Did you always want to perform?
JA: Yes, and be a writer. There were some very good teachers in my life thankfully who encouraged me. Some others wanted me to do something more serious. There was no way I wasn't going to get into comedy. I was the class clown every year in school.
As soon as I could I was taking improv classes and doing shows.
WCT: Did you start with your impressions when you were young?
JA: Yes, I did my teachers and coaches. As I got older I started to imitate impressions I saw people on late night TV doing. I needed to come up with my own stuff so early on I started writing.
I found out that when I did an impression of a celebrity more people connect with it. I tend to go towards political figures. Someone who is grabbing attention is fair game.
WCT: What are you talking about in your act currently?
JA: Same old shit—politics, my life with my boyfriend and being gay. I tell funny stories that impressions tend to creep into. It is a fun way to do instead of showing I can do all these impressions. It's an organic way to introduce them.
WCT: Did you have favorite comedians when you were growing up?
JA: There's too many of them. I loved SCTV. I discovered that when I was nine. I was influenced by Tex Avery and far out animation. I loved Janeane Garofalo as soon as I found her.
WCT: Was there a time you were in the closet during your comedy career?
JA: I came out as a person in college by the age of 24. I was even out to the hostile parties in my life at that point. I was doing comedy at that time, but it was improv and sketch. I was in character. I was doing George W. Bush and Vincent Price. I also had a drag character.
In LA, where I started comedy, it happened in straight places by default. I was a gay performer and almost everybody was cool and supportive, treating me like a human being, but I wasn't performing as myself back in those days doing characters. I was out but nobody cared!
I started doing stand up again when I was 27 because my time at The Groundlings ran out. The advantages of being myself is there were no costumes to drag around and I was able to talk about my real life. You can't do that if you are taking questions as George W. Bush.
That was when the public started thinking of me being out of the closet. I had stories of sex, dating, and homophobia to talk about.
WCT: I read you were in an NBC pilot with Sarah Paulson before.
JA: Yes, it was untitled and I played her assistant. There was a lot of snappy dialogue. She is extremely talented. I learned a lot about multi camera taping from working with her. It's not easy. It is like doing a play with a lot of cameras around you.
WCT: What projects do you have coming out?
JA: I work a lot in cartoons. I'm on Future Worm on Disney and Pig Goat Banana Cricket on Nickelodeon. I work constantly in voiceovers.
I'm going to do a stand up special in the next year. That is in the works, but I'm figuring out where to tape that.
I am going to be on The President Show's Christmas Special on Comedy Central at the end of the year as Bernie Sanders. [Also,] I will be in the movie called Love After Love that debuted at Tribeca Film Festival. It has a general release coming up soon.
I am pitching a talk show. It's unlike the talk shows that are on right now. It will be an out of the box, crazy version of a talk show!
Get over to Under the Gun Theater, 956 W. Newport, on Nov. 17 and 18 for Adomian's act. For tickets, visit TheLincolnLodge.com; for more on Adomian, see JamesAdomian.com .
