WEST PALM BEACH – Comic John Loveless has been on a roll of late.
In a two-month span Loveless went from not being accepted into the Florida’s Funniest Comedian contest to becoming one of 11 comic to reach Wednesday’s finals at the Palm Beach Improv.
An issue with the website created to process applications initially kept Loveless off the list of qualifiers. When the problem was identified, organizers added Loveless to the Palm Beach first round, and he become one of the three comics to advance from Palm Beach to the east division semifinals.
Of the contest’s finalists, only Loveless and Nadeem Awad will have performed in the same venue for all three rounds.
APPLAUSE BREAK Q&A: Meet John Loveless
APPLAUSE BREAK: Why did you start performing stand-up comedy?
John Loveless: I’ve always made people laugh from a young age. It wasn’t until a friend of mine when I was around 10 years old he showed me George Carlin’s bit on airline procedure. First joke in my memory that made me laugh and I knew why it was funny. Watching the clip made me realize you could do stand-up as a profession and it’s been what I’ve wanted to do ever since.
AB: Who is your favorite comic and why?
JL: Norm Macdonald is my favorite comic and it’s because of his fearlessness, oafishness, and perspective on life. One of my favorite moments from a comedian is when Norm got fired from SNL because he “wasn’t funny.” Then a few months later after he got a show on a rival network he came back to host SNL. His whole monologue was about how he couldn’t get funny in a few months which means the show sucks. Just the way he didn’t give a fuck about his job security and the joke always came first. That’s why he’s my favorite.
AB: What do you do when you’re not performing stand-up comedy? What is your job and hobby?
JL: As of now I wait tables. Comedy is my passion/hobby.
AB: What’s your pre-show routine?
JL: I just try to get in the right mental space and keep myself centered.
AB: What can people expect from your Florida’s Funniest finals set? How is it different from your normal headlining set?
JL: It’s different from a headlining set really based around time I only have 6 minutes. People should expect my set to be straight and to the point. No fat.
AB: Where do you see your comedy in five years?
JL: In five years I hope my dedication and hard work have me doing comedy full time.
AB: Where did you perform in the first round of Florida’s Funniest? What do you remember from that show?
JL: My first round was also at the West Palm Beach Improv same as the finals. I remember being very nervous because I was basically added on to the show. All day before the contest it’s all I thought about. I must have paced a marathon in my apartment. The second I got on stage and the first joke hit. The rest was history.
AB: What’s the weirdest thing that’s ever happened to you at a show?
JL: That’s a loaded question. On stage a drunk lady tried to charge me but I just dodged and left the stage. She had no idea what I was saying and just created me as a villain in her head. Hey, shit happens.
AB: Of the other comics in the finals, who are you most looking forward to seeing perform? Why?
JL: All the comics from the west coast finals. I’ve never seen any of them perform before.
AB: What would winning the Florida’s Funniest Comedian contest mean to you?
JL: All the bad decisions I made are finally paying off
AB: What else should comedy fans know about you?
JL: That I’m the same off stage. It’s unfortunately not an act.
Follow John Loveless on: Instagram | Facebook | YouTube
Previous Florida’s Funniest Finalist Q&As
- Orlando area comic Joe Latham
- Jacksonville area comic Danny Johnson
- Jacksonville area comic Wes Johnson
- Miami area comic Ricky Cruz
- Kissimmee area comic Donald Evans
- Boynton Beach area comic Nadeem Awad
- Tampa area comic Jay Legend
- Miami area comic Luis Diaz
- Orlando area comic Dewayne Williams
- West Palm Beach area comic John Loveless
- Fort Myers area comic Nathan Wallace
