Blake Hammond
A loud midwestern comic hiding tightly wound misdirection.
1 special · 2022
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Blake Hammond treats a microphone like he is trying to be heard over a crowded bar. He calls himself a loud comedian and he delivers on the promise, pacing the stage and shouting his premises. But underneath the volume is a comic who builds careful, tightly wound jokes. He will set up a familiar premise about his cousin coming out as gay, and then pull the rug out, ignoring the emotional weight of the moment to complain about trying to win a fifty-dollar bet with his dad. He does not waste words, even when he is yelling them.
Specials
On stage
Hammond is a Cincinnati lifer, choosing to stay in the Midwest rather than relocate to the coasts. He writes for the syndicated Bob and Tom Show and runs a weekly joke-writing workshop for local open-micers. He is a reliable local opener for headliners like Patton Oswalt and Kyle Kinane, building an audience through regional club weekends and rowdy basement shows.
He writes entire chunks about pop-punk culture and being a guy in his thirties. He dissects the questionable lyrics of early-2000s emo bands and roasts Taylor Swift to rooms full of defensive fans. He uses the tension of being a large, bearded guy who looks like a bouncer but possesses incredibly specific opinions about mid-aughts music. When a bit works, he laughs along with the room. When a crowd gets quiet, he happily berates them for failing to follow his logic.
Before comedy, Hammond studied journalism at the University of Cincinnati. That training shows up in how he trims his setups, cutting away everything that does not serve the punchline.
Turning points
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2021–2022
Taping and Release of Debut Special Blake 182
After opening for peer Lee Kimbrell, Hammond partnered with Four by Three Productions to tape his half-hour special at Cincinnati's MOTR Pub basement, releasing it on YouTube and streaming.
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Joining The Bob & Tom Show Writing Staff
Leveraging his Midwest club momentum and joke-writing discipline, Hammond secured a staff writing position on the nationally syndicated radio broadcast.
At a glance
Podcasts
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Just the Clip · co-host
A weekly conversational podcast hosted by Cincinnati comics Blake Hammond and Jeremy Johnston discussing life and comedy.
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Ran So Far w/ Blake · co-host
A comedy podcast co-hosted by touring Cincinnati comedians Blake Hammond and Ran Barnaclo.
A clip to start with
Everybody's Mad at Taylor Swift | Blake Hammond | Stand Up Comedy