Artist Spotlight - Matt Clark
We are thrilled to feature one of the few, if not the only, gigging stand-up comic in the Watertown area, Matt Clark!
Matt first took his shot at comedy at the Lake Ontario Playhouse, which is currently the Sackets Harbor Ballroom. The playhouse had frequent comedy nights and one night there was a local comedian competition where Matt decided to throw his hat in the ring. Afterwards Mike Kinney told him his comedy needed work but he had great stage presence. So Matt became a regular host for the playhouse where he was able to meet some comedians like Mark Riccadonna and Tim Joyce.
Nine years after meeting Tim, Matt found out that Mr. Joyce was actually doing a writing class at the Funny Bone in Syracuse. So Mr. Clark decided to try his hand at it. He wrote five minutes of material, did Clash of the Comics at the Funny Bone, and ended up winning. Since then he has been doing stand-up around the area and will often do shows with Nick Marra. His shows range anywhere from USO shows to benefits for multiple sclerosis or the River Hospital. He does his charity shows free of charge.
The COVID-19 pandemic put a large damper on the performing arts, including stand-up comedy. The Funny Bone had to close for a couple of months and so Mr. Clark decided to continue entertaining his community (and other communities) through other means. He and his wife started a YouTube series called A Couple of Drinks with the Clarks. Since Matt worked at a liquor store, he realized it would be nice to do videos sampling the product. 220 episodes in, the series has given viewers a glimpse into the lives of the Clarks. Matt recounted one of his friends saying, “It’s like I’m at your house and you’re just talking to me.” The series has seen several special guests, including individuals from the Rabbit Hole Distillery in Kentucky. They were told by several people that this show helped them get through the pandemic.
If you want to see Matt Clark’s stand-up,, you can catch him Sunday October 9th, at the Funny Bone in Syracuse. For more information on that event, see the links below and be sure to watch the full interview below.
