Student comedian showcased at Family Weekend’s Variety showNews Story
An up-and-coming stand-up comedian, Matthew Crain already has plenty of experience under his belt.
By Joel Petersen
Skiff Staff

TCU is home to many students with different talents. There are cheerleaders, badminton players, athletes, Gregorian chanters and now a stand-up comedian.

Matthew Crain, a senior history major from Dallas, is a standup comedian on a mission that began when he started standup at age 18.

“It was always something that I wanted to do, and I got the chance my freshman year of college,” Crain said. “It was Open Mic Night at The Club (a Dallas comedy club), and I gave it my best shot. Amazingly enough, I got a really good reaction from the crowds when I tried it that first night.”

He performs at an intoxicating rate of 50-60 shows a year and gains experience in the process, Crain said.

“The more experience I get, the less nervous I am when I perform,” he said.

Crain performs every Friday at the Back Door, a comedy club in Dallas. His show, which lasts around seven to 10 minutes, is short compared to famous comedians.

“If things aren’t going well, then I try to get off the stage as quickly as possible,” he said.

Crain has worked on his act by attending classes at the Improv, a comedy club in Dallas. His act has caught the attention of some impressive names in the talent business.

He made it to the quarterfinals in Ed McMahon’s “Next Big Star,” a talent show similar to “Star Search.” He also placed second in the TCU talent show last year and won first place at a high school competition.

Crain said he usually gets a good reaction from the crowd. Every now and then, he said, people do try to impound his car if he isn’t funny.

Recently Crain was featured on KERA, Channel 13, the local PBS affiliate.

“KERA was doing a piece on standup comics,” said Crain, the only student featured in the piece. “I was lucky enough to be a part of the piece. Some people saw me in the supermarket, and they said they saw me on the news. It was great to hear that they liked my piece.”

Crain writes his own material. He said he tries to “stay away from topics that other comics usually talk about.”

“I try to tell people what it’s like to be me,” he said. “I want them to see life from my perspective.”

Crain starts out his act with self-deprecating jokes, then proceeds to talk about his ex-girlfriend and finishes up his act with what he calls “clever observations.”

But above all else, Crain recommends never to steal his jokes because the last person who did now has a broken leg.

“Stealing someone’s joke is the cardinal sin in standup comedy,” he said. “If I realize I have done that, I’ll never tell that joke again, and I’ll apologize to the comic.”

Crain said he loves the humor of Bill Cosby, along with New Englanders Dennis Miller, Denis Leary and Jon Stewart. He also enjoys the humor in his favorite TV show, “The Simpsons.”

“There was so much they (can) get away with being cartoons,” he said.

He also enjoys the comedy found in “Scrubs,” “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” and “The Late Show with David Letterman.”

Crain said he hopes his fellow Horned Frogs will come out to one of his shows.

“I think they will like it,” he said. “It’s clean, and it’s fun, and you’ll go home with a smile on your face.”