Arts & Entertainment, Features

Comedian Ryan Hamilton brings laughs back to Boston

Stand-up comedian Ryan Hamilton has had an eventful last few years, with the release of his Netflix special, “Happy Face” in 2017 and the start of his most recent tour kicked off on Sept. 27 in his home state of Idaho. 

Comedian Ryan Hamilton is set to perform at The Wilbur on Oct. 19. ILLUSTRATION BY SOFIA KOYAMA/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

On Oct. 19, the folksy comedian is making his return to the Boston area at The Wilbur. The city, Hamilton said, holds a special significance for his career as a comic.

“It’s the place where I had a lot of early experiences, big moments,” Hamilton said. “It’s one of the first places I saw comedy, one of the first places I ever did a television set.”

Hamilton said his attachment to Boston started in his college days. He would drive down from his internship in New Hampshire during his college days and spent most of his weekends catching stand-up shows at the Comedy Connection, prior to its closure in 2008, located in Faneuil Hall. 

“I’ve never lived there,” Hamilton said. “I performed there over the years, but every time I’ve been there it’s been kind of a big moment for me.”

In the past, Hamilton, who’s been on the road on and off for years, has performed in Paris, Australia, Israel and throughout Scandinavia. Boston will be Hamilton’s sixth stop in his tour across the U.S. with his latest material.  

“Sometimes I think my job is not necessarily comedy, it’s the travel,” Hamilton said. “Comedy’s a bonus.”

Hamilton’s 2017 Netflix special “Happy Face” was years in the making, Hamilton said. In order to complete the special, Hamilton said he had put off other opportunities such as albums and half-hour specials. 

“I really wanted to do a one-hour special and I really wanted it to be with Netflix,” Hamilton said. 

Hamilton said he is now setting his focus on touring and theatre shows.

Being on stage is like second nature, Hamilton said. He said that while working with new material can be a challenge, he enjoys the process.

“It’s just an adventure and it’s a thrill to create this stuff,” Hamilton said. “I can’t even explain how fun it is.”

Hamilton said he’s loved stand-up comedy from a young age and would even make his family change the channel to watch comics on TV. His parents would sometimes even wake him up in the middle of the night when stand-up comics would come on.  

“It was something I loved from a very young age,” Hamilton said. “I don’t know why I was drawn to it.”

As he grew older, Hamilton said he gravitated toward writing and putting his comedic ideas on paper. With aspirations to become a journalist, Hamilton became a humor columnist at a newspaper publication in Idaho.

“I wasn’t like a class clown personality by any stretch but I always thought about jokes,” Hamilton said. “I like writing and I like putting my jokes in a published format. [It] was a real thrill for me.”

Eventually Hamilton would pivot back into stand-up comedy, showing up on the very late night comedy shows he used to love watching as a kid. 

“Stand up’s always been my true love,” Hamilton said.

In honor of National Newspaper Week, we’re asking you to make a donation to The Daily Free Press. The financial support of our community is important now more than ever to help us continue writing stories like this for readers like you. Please chip in whatever you can. Read more and make a donation here. Thank you.

More Articles

Jennifer is studying Communication Studies at the College of Communication in the Class of 2020. She has written for multiple publications and practiced digital marketing throughout her time at Boston University. In Jennifer's spare time, she likes going to brunch and solving puzzles. Connect with her on Twitter at @JSuryadjaja

Comments are closed.