There is always one special thing that secures the life-long bond between father and son. For senior Tate Greer, that thing is comedy.

A few years back, Tate’s dad started to show him videos of comedians. Tate’s interests sparked then and there, and he began to research more about comedy, and some of the greats like Jim Gaffigan.

After years of building up his jokes, techniques, and confidence, Tate has finally decided to take the stage and do stand-up comedy in front of a crowd of strangers.

“I have done [stand-up comedy] to family members, but I’ve never actually done it in front of [anyone] else,” Tate said. “I’ve never actually gotten an authentic reaction just because family members can have cookie-cutter [reactions]. ‘Oh that was so good, honey,’ and things like that. So I’ve never gone in front of kids my age and seen their reaction. But [stand-up at a bar] would be totally different.”

The stereotypical comedy, such as the classic knock-knock or “a guy walks into a bar” joke, are punchlines that Tate wants to steer clear from. After doing a respectable amount of research, Tate has viewed the many different types of comedy and comedians and is trying to mirror them.

The tactic that he has found works best for him is just making fun of himself.

“Whenever I’m stressed out,” Tate said, “I like to find a way to insert humor into something. I think laughter is an easy type of medicine. During the day, I’ll call my mom sometimes, and we’ll talk about something dumb that I did that day and laugh at me. I think there’s always ways to laugh at yourself.”

When he was younger, Tate felt that he was a generally serious guy. However, after being introduced to the world of comedy, Tate has learned to let loose every once in a while and enjoy life a little more.

“Freshman year, I would take things so seriously and worry about how other people are viewing me,” Tate said. “And I think right now, it’s just about making people laugh. I think it builds confidence because you get up there, and you hope that people laugh at you, but I mean you have to have enough courage to go up there anyway. You have to have confidence in yourself, which is something I’m working on.” 

As a novice comedian, Tate is trying to make a name for himself around town by performing his stand-up at bars. He is planning on doing one show this summer and then expanding his horizon once he goes to college.

Since he has never performed in front of an actual crowd aside from his friends and family, Tate was nervous to go up on stage. However, after a considerable amount of practice, he has built up the morale to perform.

“It’s a nerve-wracking thing to go up there and do,” Tate said. “I think once I’m in college and a little bit older, and once I have a little more connection, it’ll be a little easier to find bars to go to.”

Comedy is a large aspect of Tate’s life, one that he will never part with. Though he doesn’t see himself doing strictly stand-up comedy in his future, it will be a long-lasting hobby.

“Even though [comedy] might not be a lucrative business—I mean you’re not [going to] make a ton of money if you are just a bottom tier comedian—I think comedy teaches everyone to make themselves vulnerable and let humor take over,” Tate said, “and just when people aren’t serious and when life is just about making jokes and having fun and laughing.”