US comic Jared Freid says his impressions of Australian audiences come from the Australian fans he sees when he works New York City’s Comedy Cellar.
“They’re always on a trip and always having the best time,” says Freid. “My perception is that you guys get, like, months off from work. You never work.
“It just feels like every Australian is on a seven-month vacation every time I see them.”
Freid will be able to test those perceptions further, when he lands in Australia shortly. His Australian tour kicks off at Melbourne’s The Comic’s Lounge on Feb 28. It will be his first visit to Australia.
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“I just wanna eat everything,” says Freid. “I wanna try everything. I love going to a city and getting recommendations from people.
“All you hear is there’s like breakfast culture — I don’t even know what that means but I’m gonna eat some eggs and I’m gonna have some pancakes.”
Freid is performing in Australia as part of his No Winter Tour. Known for his dating culture-related comedy, he says fans should expect to laugh a lot — more than they otherwise might in a year, by the sound of it.
Freid adds he’s conditioned to deliver laughs in spades to stay afloat in New York City’s frenetic-speed comedy scene.
“I have a show prepared where it’s literally a laugh every 10 seconds. I know that makes me sound too confident or cocky but I’ve been doing comedy for 14 years in New York City, at the home of stand up comedy.
“It’s gonna be a great show — there’s some preparation here — and when I talk, I tell stories about my family.
“If you’re a millennial with boomer parents, this show’s for you. If you’re someone who’s travelled alone, I’m talking a lot about going to Europe alone — this is a show you’re going to want to go to.
“But if you’re a millennial who’s dealing with parents involved in your life, and you’re looking at your life and, you’re like, you thought it would be different from what it is, you’re gonna like the show.
“I’m turning 40. The day of my 40th birthday, I’m gonna be on a flight to New Zealand.”
Freid’s stand-up special, 37 & Single, is currently streaming on Netflix in Australia. It featured in the Top 10 most-watched TV in the US and Canada on Netflix.
Freid says landing a special on the steaming platform makes a perceptible difference to a comedian’s every day.
“Having a Netflix special is the greatest credibility you could have as a comedian worldwide,” Freid says. “When people hear that, you are funny – you are something.
“When I go visit my parents and my parents’ friends are like, ‘Where can I find your stuff?’, I’m like, ‘Netflix.’ Their whole energy changes. It’s been the pleasure of a lifetime to have a special on Netflix.”
Freid, who hosts podcasts U Up? and The JTrain Podcast, has just taped a new special that he says is due out “somewhere, sometime,” shortly.
“Some of that material, I’ve never done in Australia, so I’ll be doing a little bit of it, but mostly trying to work on a new set and I have a book coming out. I’m writing a book on dating.
Fans in Australia can expect to learn a lot about dating life through Freid’s eyes.
“I think it’s really easy to talk about politics now because you know who agrees with you and who disagrees with you before you even do it, and you know you’re going to get attention no matter what.
“I like to tell stories that are personal to me — that are real and true — where someone could be sitting in the crowd and going through the exact same thing as me, and be in the story I’m telling.
“So when it comes to being single, I’m 39, I’m single, I’m going to Australia. I went to Europe alone, and I hated every second — I’m going to talk about that.”
Jared Freid performs at Melbourne’s The Comic’s Lounge on Friday February 28. Get tickets to this show and all shows on his Australian tour here.
