Comedian Eric Schwartz aka Smooth-E is performing February 10-11 at Stand Up, Scottsdale! Comedy Club. Check out Fab AZ’s exclusive interview with Smooth-E:
Q: Where are you from?
A: Thousand Oaks, CA, a suburb just north of Los Angeles.
Q: How was your first gig? Was it immediately gratifying, or did you bomb at first?
A: The first time I performed was on a cruise ship talent show with my entire family in the audience
Q: How did you get into rapping/musical parodies?
A: I want to say I’ve been down with hip-hop since day one, but I was actually about ten years old. So I guess that’s day 3657 (365 x 10 + two leap years). It was around that time I started a breakdance crew with my brother and friends. I still wonder if the headspinning contributed to my current hairstyle. At 13 (~ day 4752), I spent all my Bar Mitzvah money on DJ equipment, causing my parents to panic about college tuition. As a DJ, there are certain records you play over and over. I started changing the words just to keep myself entertained. Mimicking my favorite MCs and producers has educated me on how to write, perform and produce my own songs. I never took music lessons until recently. I’ve just always been hungry to take over this world one rhyme at a time.
Q: What can comedy goers expect from you at Stand-Up, Scottsdale! this weekend?
A: It’s a blend of stand-up, music, dancing and video. My goal is to give the audience the most fun they’ve ever had sitting down. I want you to feel like we just giggled our faces off at a disco inside an inflatable bounce house. Plus, you will probably see my bare stomach.
Q: What is the source of inspiration for your comedy?
A: My inspiration is the audience’s reaction. When they see a nerdy Jewish guy who looks he should be their office IT guy spit hot fire on the mic, they realize they can do anything!
Q: How do you keep yourself busy while on tour/traveling/performing?
A: Being busy has never been a problem for me. Since I am a content creator, I’m constantly working on projects to fuel the internet fire. Let me put it this way: Putting wifi on planes has meant less sleep for me. If I could pick up a hobby, I’d like to try video games. I’ve always felt like a nerd fraud because I don’t play them. It’s like I’m an athlete with no time to work out!
Q: What are the last three songs you remember listening to on your iPod?
A: I bought a new iPod and was totally jamming out to “Mr. Roboto” until I realized there was a newer, better iPod.
Q: If you could receive a sext from one politician, one athlete, and one movie star, who would they be?
A: I will not judge your fetish for multi-genre celebrities. But if the person has to be a politician, athlete and movie star, you’ve really narrowed the field to Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jesse “The Body” Ventura. I’d have to choose Arnie, because I know he has lots of prior experience.
Q: What’s an interesting fact that people wouldn’t know about you?
A: If I told them, then they’d know. Do I really want to take that risk? OK, here goes. Growing up, I had a male cat named Martha. I hope that was worth it.
Q: Where can people find more information about you? Anything coming up we should know about?
A: My official site www.SmoothE.tv has links to all my social networks like Twitter.com/ericschwartz, Facebook.com/ericschwartz and YouTube.com/suburbanhomeboy, where I am constantly releasing videos. My weekly TV show, “On the Spot” airs in Phoenix on KTVK/KASW 3/61 Sundays at 9:00 a.m. My many irons are always in the fire, cooking up tasty s’mores you’re sure to see on screens and stages.
See Smooth-E at Stand Up, Scottsdale! Comedy Club February 10 and 11.