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Tapan Trivedi grew up in India . When he was 22 he came to America . Besides blondes and redheads he discovered Standup Comedy. Pushed to the stage on the insistance of his friends he went up on stage at the celebrated Houston Laff Stop open mike where he killed his first time on stage.
Addicted to laughter he kept plugging on till he was a Finalist in the Funniest Person in Houston Competition. Since then he has performed with comedians like Dave Attell,Tom Rhodes, Bobby Slayton,Debbie Gutierrez,Jerry Corley,Michael Pace,Ralphie Mae and Lahna Turner.
Constantly on the road winning audiences with his brilliant writing and hillarious observations of life in the USA as an East Indian immigrant , he still finds time for television commercials, radio performances and brief movie performances. He recently wrapped up a movie for the Howard Stern Film Festival.
Sacramento News and Review calls him one of the best comedians in California - period and Jeffrey Callison of NPR says 'This cat made me laugh out morethan ANY guest ever has !'Tapan has since gained notoriety by his racial observations and his ultra geeky one liners and his catch phrase - 'I can't understand America ' is gaining popularity by the day!!
Tapan Trivedi grew up in India . After coming to America he discovered blondes,redheads and Standup Comedy. Pushed to the stage on the insistance of his friends he went up on stage at the celebrated Houston Laff Stop open mike where he killed his first time on stage. Addicted to laughter he kept plugging on till he was a Finalist in the Funniest Person in Houston Competition.
Since then he has performed with comedians like Dave Attell,Tom Rhodes, Bobby Slayton,Debbie Gutierrez,Ralphie Mae ,Russell Peters, John Witherspoon, Rex Navarette, Don McMillan ,Paul Mooney, Robin Williams, Dana Carvey, Bill Burr and John Witherspoon.
Constantly on the road winning audiences with his brilliant writing and hillarious observations of life in the USA as an East Indian immigrant , he still finds time for television commercials, radio performances and brief movie performances.
He recently wrapped up a Comedy Slam taping for Showtime Networks with Russell Peters, Darren Carter, Ahmed Ahmed etc.
Sacramento News and Review calls him one of the best comedians in California - period and Jeffrey Callison of NPR says ’This cat made me laugh out morethan ANY guest ever has !’Tapan has since gained notoriety by his racial observations and his ultra geeky one liners and his catch phrase - ’I can’t understand America ’ is gaining popularity by the day!!
Tapan Trivedi is also the producer of two comedy shows :- The Coexist Comedy Tour - www.coexistcomedy.com and Pundits with Punchlines - www.punditswithpunchlines.com
Website: indiancomedian.com ,punditswithpunchlines.com, coexistcomedy.com
Influences: Doug Stanhope, Bill Hicks, Don McMillan, Robin Williams, Kathleen Madigan, Richard Pryor ,Dave Attell, Chris Rock and of course Dave
Chapelle. Other influences THC, MDMA,Jack Daniels,My wife's intoxicating beauty.
TV Shows History Channel, AZN, Zee TV, Comedy Time, MySpace TV,Showtime Networks
What does your family back home in India think about you being a comedian?
Tapan Trivedi: My family back home has no idea what being an actual comedian is all about. There are times that my mother tells people I entertain for a living and the people think I am a vaudevillian or a magician.
Was stand-up comedy popular in India when you were growing up?
Tapan Trivedi: Not at all. I never saw a standup comic till I came to the U.S. I heard tapes of comedians who were essentially brilliant impressionists but no observational humor at all.
What led to you joining the Gurus of Comedy Tour, and how has it boosted your career?
Tapan Trivedi: I joined the Gurus of Comedy tour to develop my Indian act. I had just a few jokes about being an Indian and all those were geared towards non Indian audiences. Making Indian people laugh is extremely hard but rewarding as they give me a lot of money to do private events.
As for the boost in the career- I have a whole new 35 minutes that I developed on the tour. I have TV time now AND I created Pundits with Punchlines which gets me in front of many bookers.
How has your business degree helped you in comedy?
Tapan Trivedi: Standup is the lowest common denominator of equality. The business degree helped in cultivating relations and the business side but not so much in the comedy. You either are funny or not.
With all the controversy surrounding the Michael Richards incident, what are your feelings about censorship? Are you still doing your “sand nigger” bit?
Tapan Trivedi: First of all Rick Overton said it best when he said “Michael Richards is not a racist but a ragist.” He has had outbursts against women, gays and now blacks. The only difference being the latest one was caught on tape. I don’t agree with the censorship of the N or F or C or D or A or any other words and gladly continue doing my Sand N word bit all around the country. I will stop when they pay me enough NOT to do it.
Comedy Performances Worldwide:-
Texas :- Houston Laff Stop, Houston Laff Spot, Cap City Comedy Club Austin, The Velveeta Room, Froggy BottomsLubbock, River Center Comedy Club San Antonio,Addison Improv etc
California :- San Jose Improv, Rooster T Feathers, Marsh Theatre, PepperBellys Comedy and Variety Theatre, Mira’s Theatre , Cobbs Comedy Club, Java Lounge, Crows Nest ,Comedy Store, Laugh Factory ,The Ha Café ,San Francisco Comedy College,Elk Valley Casino,Crescent City , Punchline,Tommy Ts Comedy Club,Throckmorton Theatre, City Hall Davis, Stanford Comedy Club
Arizona :- Tempe Improv, Harkins Theatres, Laffs Tucson
Florida :- Laugh In Comedy Club Fort Myers.
Oregon:- Ground Zero,Ashland,Or; Kowloons, Bend,Or; Chadwicks, Medford,Or
Nevada :- Winners Casino,Winnemucca, Reno Hilton,Las Vegas Comedy Festival , Las Vegas ,Harrahs Casino, University of Reno,Nv ,
India:- Bhaidas Hall Bombay India – Dream gig with Johnny Lever
Munich ,Germany:- The Twisted Bavarian , English Comedy Club Amsterdam :- Boom Chicago Lounge.
Competitions :-
Finalist:- Houstons Funniest Person Comedy Competition
Winner:- Last Laugh Comedy Competition , Sponsored by the Movie Aristocrats
Winner :- Gold Rush Comedy Competition
Winner :- Mandango's Comedy Competition
Winner :- San Jose Improv Comedy Competition - 2nd Place
Radio Appearances:-
106.5 KWOD Sacramento Regular Guest/Man on the street for the morning show
100.7 KASE Austin
89.3 KXJZ Sacramento Insight with Jeffrey Callison
All Comedy Radio
Feature Films :-
"Evolution" with David Duchovny,Julianne Moore Extra Dreamworks Entertainment
"The Final Decision" Lead Waiting For Tess Prod
"The Lotto Commercial" Lead Academy of Arts ,
Television :-
"Man,Moment,Machine" Iranian General Abid Baig History Channel
"Last Comic Standing" Contestant NBC
Television Commercials :-
"Walmart" National Commercial Customer Mercedes Benz Guy who proposes
Mar 16th
Showtime Comedy Slam Taping with Russell Peters
Mar 27 – 30
San Jose Improv with Rex Navarette
April 2nd
Sequoia Restaurant in Placerville
April 12th
Atheist Wedding - Sacramento
April 13th
Corporate gig in Sunnyvale
April 19th
Private Birthday Gig in OrangeCounty (Tentative).
April 23rd
HBO Def Comedy Jam auditions at Sacramento Punchline
Apr 24th-27th
Sacramento Punchline with RUSSELL PETERS
May 3rd
CoExist Comedy at Harbin Hot Springs
May 5th
CoExist Comedy at Cal State University Sacramento (CSUS)
May 7-8-9
Los Angeles Comedy Festival
May 10th
State Theatre Modesto
May 16th
Marin Comedy Showcase
May 17th
Church gig in Sacramento
May 18th
Corporate Gig – Santa Clara,Ca
May 21st
Hosting Competition in Sunnyvale
May 24th
Comedy Marathon (Tentative)
May 30-31
Coexist ? Comedy Tour at the Geery Theatre
June 6 – 7
Coexist ? Comedy Tour at the Geery Theatre
June 8th
IAAD Delaware (Tentative)
June 13th-14th
Coexist ? Comedy Tour at the Geery Theatre
June 18-22
The Great American Comedy Festival
June 20 – 21
Coexist ? Comedy Tour at the Geery Theatre
July 12th
Wedding , Del Mar,Ca (San Diego)
July 17th – 20th
Pepperbellys Comedy Club Fairfield,Ca
July 23rd
Pundits with Punchlines at Cobbs Comedy Club
July 24th
Pundits with Punchlines at San Jose Improv
August 1st
Laugh Trax Live in Stockton,Ca
Aug 13th
Punchline Comedy Club Sacramento
Aug 14th -17th
Rooster T Feathers
August 20,21,22,24th
Punchline Sacramento
Aug 23rd
Playboy Mansion in L.A.
Sept 6th 7th
Raleigh Theatre , Hollywood
Sept 10th
Pundits with Punchlines at the Hollywood Improv
Sept 17th
Taping for a pilot
Sept 24th
Headlining Coexist Comedy at Rooster T Feathers
Oct 2nd
Headlining Coexist Comedy at Pepperbellys
Oct 7th
Headlining Coexist Comedy at The Comedy Store South
Oct 8th
Headlining Coexist Comedy at The Comedy Store Hollywood
Oct 10th
Headlining Coexist Comedy at The State Theatre in Modesto
Oct 31st,Nov 1st, Nov 2nd
Pundits with Punchlines at Tommy Ts
Oct 20-27th
Featuring for a private week in Hawaii
Oct 30th
Black Oak Casino
Nov 14th
Headlining Coexist Comedy at The Throckmorton Theatre
Dec 12th
Headlining Coexist Comedy at The Crest Theatre