Jeff Simmermon
A storyteller who builds intricate, absurd worlds just to wreck them.
1 special · 2017
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Jeff Simmermon takes up space on stage. He is a tall, imposing figure, and he uses that physical footprint to anchor stories that sprawl far past the normal boundaries of a comedy bit. He does not rely on a tight setup-punch rhythm. Instead, he builds intricate scenes. He will describe a ripped paper grocery bag on a rainy subway car with exhaustive detail, holding the room quiet through sheer momentum until the tension finally snaps.
Specials
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A dry comedy debut about cancer, divorce, and musical chickens.
Comedy Dynamics · Album
On stage
He works the space between standup and live storytelling. He earned a Moth GrandSLAM win before recording comedy albums. He brings the patient rhythms of a storytelling showcase into traditional comedy clubs, proving that a fifteen-minute yarn can command a crowd that just watched three comics fire off rapid one-liners.
His bits lean on strange personal history. He talks about getting attacked by a scavenger lizard in the Australian Outback and trying to make it in an art-rock band that featured live chickens pecking at toy pianos. When the subject turns serious, like his bout with testicular cancer, he never treats a bad hand as a tragedy. He positions himself as a baffled participant rather than a victim. He reacts to medical bureaucracy and bizarre animals alike by getting highly articulate about how angry he is, cataloging his own embarrassments in plain view.
He grew up in Virginia and lives in Brooklyn. That geographic split shapes his cadence. He employs a Southern storyteller’s deliberate pacing, but he delivers the final blows with New York impatience.
Turning points
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First Visit to The Moth
Simmermon attended The Moth in early 2008 after moving to New York City, sparking his transition into full-time live storytelling and standup performance.
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2010–2019
Run of And I Am Not Lying Variety Show
Simmermon produced, hosted, and designed posters for the monthly variety show combining standup, storytelling, and burlesque, holding a long-running residency at UCB East.
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Release of #1 Comedy Album And I Am Not Lying
Simmermon released his debut comedy and storytelling album through Comedy Dynamics, hitting #1 on the iTunes comedy charts.
At a glance
- On stage
- since 2008
- Style
- storytelling, observational
- Breakout
- And I Am Not Lying
- Topics
- Elsewhere
- Website, Wikipedia
Podcasts
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The Reluctant Phoenix · host
A podcast hosted, produced, and edited by Jeff Simmermon featuring scripted segments and guest interviews.
A clip to start with
Jeff Simmermon Standup Set June 2015