Comedian talks standup, crowd work, political correctness; Hilarities shows set

Comedian Big Jay Oakerson has ascended up the comedy ranks in recent years via his quick wit and seamless crowd work. While he has a wealth of material to dip into, nearly all of Oakerson’s shows steer toward the situations he’s presented, making each set its own unique experience.

As it turns out, Oakerson finds an angle for many of his interviews, too. Talking recently via phone to promote his Nov. 27-29 appearances at Hilarities in Cleveland, Oakerson described his Canton connection, where as a child, he was a Repository paper boy.

“I lived in Canton for like six months,” he said. “My father still lives there. I actually had a job delivering The Repository. My last day of doing it, my uncle was visiting my father. It was raining, and I didn’t want to deliver the paper, so I said, ‘I’m just not gonna do it.’ They were like, ‘You (expletive)!’ They took me around in my dad’s van and delivered the paper with and for me, and they were (crapping) on me the whole time! So when I heard this was for The Repository, I thought, ‘What a cool thing to get an article in this paper!’ ”

Oakerson got his start in comedy shortly after enrolling in college. He hit the open mic circuit while working as a chauffeur, strip-club bouncer and cashier at 7-Eleven.

“I was a huge fan of it, but I never had any idea I was going to do it,” he said. “I was a fan of all these comedians, and in school, I would just kind of regurgitate all the jokes I had heard, and it made me feel like it would be really fun to do.”

Once he hit the stage, Oakerson never looked back. His tenacity and work ethic complimented his edgy material and style and quickly led to opening gigs for comedy heavyweights like Dave Attell and Artie Lange. His fearlessness on stage and love for heavy metal also made him a de-facto opener for hard rock festivals and cruises like Mayhem, Rock on the Range and Motorhead’s Motorboat. More recently, Oakerson was part of the Oddball Comedy Tour, where he performed alongside some of the biggest names in standup including Amy Schumer, Aziz Ansari, Jay Pharoah, Jeff Ross and Michael Che, among others.

He’s also starred in the hit IFC show “Z-Rock,” has appeared on “Comedy Central Presents” and “Comedy Central’s Premium Blend,” and he co-hosts the “Legion of Skanks” podcast.

Oakerson said he owes his comedic rise to the countless sets where he was able to hone his craft.

“The more you do it, the more comfort you find,” Oakerson said. “It’s just repetition more than anything else.”

Oakerson has found a unique spot in standup in that his sets are repetitious, but when it comes to material they’re often not repetitive.

“I know a lot of comics who are great and really funny,” Oakerson said. “They know how to kill and really level a crowd, but the set is always the same. Sometimes it seems like they’re punching a clock, which is the opposite of why I got into this. The idea is to go out there and really have fun and enjoy yourself. I’m always ready to have fun. I was a lot off-the-cuff when I started, and I’ve kind of moved my jokes into an actual conversation with the crowd. I’m always very interactive with the crowd.”

For some standups, the growing political correctness of society is seen as a thorn in the side of comedy. While Oakerson is annoyed with PC attitudes, he’s not going to be adjusting his material to fit in with it anytime soon.

“If things are funny, they tend to be forgiven quicker,” Oakerson said. “There’s no outrage if it’s funny. By the time one person is going, ‘How dare you?’ Someone’s right next to them going, ‘Oh come on. This is funny.’ ”

“I’m waiting for the outrage on some of the ridiculous things I’ve said. I can’t wait to defend it. If you take things that seriously, don’t come to a comedy show. We’re not speaking in front of Congress here.”

Oakerson’s current full-length album, “An American Storyteller” is available now via Comedy Central Records, and the disc highlights the story-based, in-the-moment style of standup he’ll bring to Hilarities.

“I keep the audience engaged, and I capture these unique moments,” he said.

“You want to relate to people. That’s why I work the crowd so much and keep it fresh.”

Reach B.J. at 330-580-8314 or bj.lisko@cantonrep.com

On Twitter: @BLiskoREP