Ian Harvie appearing at Zanies/photo by Kevin Neales
When I saw Margaret Cho at Zanies last year, I have to admit, I was taken aback by her opening act, stand-up comic Ian Harvie. I had never really hear of him and didn't realize Margaret even had an opening act. When Ian took to the stage, a female friend who was in attendance that night kept commenting on how cute he was, with his short-cropped boy-band hair, a few colorful tattoos peaking out of the sleeves of his t-shirt and a boyish grin. A few minutes into his routine, Ian reveals the fact that he was born a girl. That's right, Ian is a transgender comedian. Shocking revelation aside, more importantly, Ian is a very talented and funny comedian.
As I mentioned yesterday, Margaret and Ian are back at Zanies this week, having began a four-day run last night. Before the show began, I spotted Ian at the merch table talking to his friend who was selling t-shirts and various other items to fans. I went over and said hello and thanked Ian for agreeing to do an interview. Just as he had been last year when we first met, Ian was gracious and sweet, even taking me backstage to say hello to Margaret, who coincidentally has finally regained her voice, after a month of vocal rest.
After seeing Ian's show, I was reminded that funny is funny, whether it's coming from a straight, gay or yes, even a transgender comedian. That said, I asked Ian how long does it usually take for his audience to figure that out. "Interesting question because it seems to take people longer to figure out that when I tell them I'm Trans that it's not a joke. I pass so well as a man visually that its kind of a bender for people because they simply don't believe I was ever a 'girl'. Then people think that I'm Trans in the other way.. like I'm telling them I'm a man who wants to be a woman, and I'm like no, no, no, been there done that! Once we get that out of the way people seem to be more free to laugh. Usually I get that out of the way near the beginning and then usually audiences are great! The only ones who still don't get it, are just too drunk to get anything, not just my situation." He continued, "That's usually a late show on a Friday or Saturday when those rare kind of things happen. There has been one or two stragglers come up to me all drunk and say to me 'so all that stuff about being a chick.. that's just a joke right? It's your schtick right?' To drunk people that late at night, I'm just agreeable at that point."
Having just come from doing shows in Provincetown, then this weekend in Nashville and on to West Hollywood, it's obvious Ian is getting used to playing to a variety of audiences. "Lots of straight people come to shows, it's not a problem, and I certainly tolerate their lifestyle," he said with a wink. "They laugh just as hard as queers do. However I do think that Queer people have had to process more about sexuality with themselves and are smarter and more liberated to laugh at the kinds of topics in my jokes. You might say queers are smarter audiences but like you said, funny is funny to any audience," Ian concluded, mirroring my initial thought.
Since Ian lives in LA, I was curious to find out what his thoughts were as far as Music City was concerned. "I hadn't been to Nashville before last year and I loved it. Margaret insisted on getting me this Stetson cowboy hat when we were last and this real southern gentleman character (alter ego) was born: Travis Wayne, self proclaimed country music heart throb. Travis is sweet and gross at the same time. He means well but says s#@! wrong, so you're left trying to decide if you like him or not. He leaves a lot of people torn on that one. But Travis and I love Nashville and have made a few friends here. So we're glad to be back."
Having grown up in the Nashville area, and hearing from other friends about their ideas and expectations of the city, I asked Ian if Nashville lived up to, or shattered any of those notions or stereotypes. "Nashville itself removed old ideas I had about the town. I had no idea it was so big. I had no idea it had a queer local TV station and that the food was so good. Lots of cute stores and great home cooking. Someone told me anywhere outside the city could get real old school south real quick but I never got out of the city. I don't think people know how great it is," revealed Ian.
Anyone who has seen Margaret Cho, whether on tv, in a concert special, or especially, live on-stage, knows she is simply, a Comic Goddess. On their friendship and working together, Ian admitted, "She is a Goddess for sure and one of my best friends. What is it like? At first you're like WTF?!! It's Tranny Boi Comic's wet dream!! And as you get to know her through work and creating art you realize how beautiful and human she is on top of the funniest comic ever and we forged a wonderful friendship. In an interview recently she was asked if she was ever concerned with her opening acts ever stealing her thunder and she quickly fired back 'they can have my thunder' and that is one of the things I love about her she is not competitive with her comic colleagues. She genuinely wants people in comedy to succeed. When she said that about people having her thunder I knew she meant it and that is one of the reasons I love her. She is 100% real with her love and support. I don't know how I will ever be able to thank her, I mean I do and I'm so grateful, but I guess I would do the same for someone else sometime if I'm in a place to do so."
Ian's current tour is called, Ian Harvie: Parts Sold Separately, of course alluding to the fact that while he may look like a boy, as he puts it in his routine, he still has to go to the gyno. The shows name is--if you'll excuse the pun--ballsy to say the least, so I asked if he got any resistance in choosing the tour name. "No, in fact, my Manager and I were try to come up with something and she said why don't you put it out to your facebook fans. I did, and the tour name came from an awesome and clever fan. No resistance at all..Everyone I've talked to loves it. Come on, isn't PARTS SOLD SEPARATELY perfect?! I love it!," beamed Ian.
On whether the predominant subject of being transgender limits or frees Ian as a comedian, he explained, "It does both sometimes. Its freeing to me certainly but I am writing about other things. But I don't think I'll ever be just a guy comic telling dick jokes. Whatever I write about I want it to be funny yes, but I also want to leave a part of myself up there like the audience leaves feeling like they were offered something real. So I will continue to write about things that are real and funny, that may include the vast subject of sexuality or something else, we'll see."
At both last year's show and last night's performance, Ian was received with uproarious laughter, and booming applause, the obvious desired end result of any stand-up comic. "If there is a well received show it means that there were a few things that had to align: my energy and material had to be tight, the audience had to be not too loose/conservative and not too drunk/sober. When a show is a really good one I feel like its because there was another step of growth on my part as a performer and I try to remember those things I did and said to help that alignment in creating a good show. Then I try to retain it and bring to then next show and the next one," Ian explained. He went on to say, "Plus it's a high of sorts having a good show is definitely a shot of something good, it's completely addictive. I also like the idea that, just maybe I'm changing old ideas about what people may have thought about Trans people. That's a powerful notion, creating social change through laughter. If you can make someone laugh you can change their heart, for the better."
During the time Margaret was on vocal rest, Ian would often join her onstage to assist in the delivery of her material. His take on helping out during those silent shows, "Yes, I've read her jokes on stage while she acted them out standing next to me. Sometimes she mouths the words and sometimes she acts them out and makes her crazy faces. Makes me think of an Asian action film with English dubbing. It's hilarious!"
Obviously, neither Ian's nor Margaret's live shows are for the faint of heart, and with the pending knowledge that an audience can turn on you at any given moment, Ian had this to say about gauging his audience's tolerance for material that might push the limits, "Well, if you have a joke you really want to do because you love it and want to bring it to stage.. Then you judge after, based on the crowd. Usually I do new jokes that I'm unsure about, by sandwiching it between jokes I know that work. Its kind of a safety play. Get 'em going, try the new one and if it doesn't go well, do one that does work and get back."
When asked if there is a subject that's taboo for even Ian, he quickly shot back with this hilarious reply, "I'm not sure, I guess anything that you would see on Law & Order SVU, that's probably stuff I would not write material about. That would really turn a crowd!" A particularly funny response if you've seen Ian's show and recall his reference to the G-GONG sound effect used on Law & Order.
In addition to playing the comedy club circuit, Ian is also host of The Ian Harvie Show, a live talk show of sorts held before an audience at Largo at the Coronet in West Hollywood. With the tour, I wondered if he was still hosting the chatfest. "Yes, but it's been on a little break because of all this other work and travel. I will be doing it again real soon. The show format is like what you might see on late night tv but more informal and far more queer."
It was no surprise to me when Ian named Margaret as one of his favorite guests to appear on The Ian Harvie Show. He went on to elaborate about other guests, "Really there has been something unique and lovely about all of them, Alan Cumming devilish.. Jorja Fox, straight-up a good human.. Jane Lynch, wickedly funny.. Alec Mapa, darling.. Buck Angel, pioneering (and hot).. Leslie Jordan, like a cuddly Maltese. I can't pick. They are all so different and beautiful. I'm lucky to have talked with them."
I pressed to find out who his dream guest would be and he replied, "My dream guests would be Carol Burnett and Lily Tomlin and her partner Jane Wagner," but confessed, "I could give you a long list."
After meeting Ian for the first time, I confessed I had my first trans-crush (Hey, if Tom Cruise and David Beckham can be embroiled in a Bromance, who are you to judge my attraction to Ian?) To that end, I had to ask, who he gets hit on by more: straight men who think Ian is a cute girl, gay men who think he's a cute boy, straight women who think he's a cute boy, or gay women who just know he's HOT? "This isn't meant to sound gross, but it might come across that way. But it's a little of everyone. And trust me I have new material about. I think it's great that my story and presence is making people question themselves, that's a good thing." He continued, "I think people are figuring out little by little that attraction is more fluid than they once thought."
Ian and Margaret will continue their shows at Zanies tonight thru Sunday night.
For updates on Ian, check out his Facebook Fan page HERE.
Visit Ian's website HERE.
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