Johnny Taylor
Dark, unhurried stories built from genuine personal disaster.
2 specials · 2017–2018
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Johnny Taylor does not rush. He works as a pure storyteller, stepping on stage without a notebook to recount the worst things that have happened to him. He talks about grim personal events like divorces, the deaths of his parents, and his rocky childhood with the casual cadence of a guy explaining a strange trip to the hardware store. When he lands on a dark punchline, he just lets the silence sit, giving the room a second to catch up to the facts of the situation.
Specials
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A dapper, dry hour of uncomfortable personal stories and cultural cynicism.
Stand Up! Records · 62 min
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A quick, cynical slice of early Trump-era political dread.
Stand Up! Records · Album
On stage
He operates as an anchor of the Sacramento comedy scene. While he spent a few years living in Los Angeles, he treats Northern California as his permanent base camp. He teaches storytelling at his local club, runs road dates across the country, and works as a reliable West Coast opener for touring headliners.
The comedy comes from the gap between the tragedy of the subject and the ease of the delivery. He strips the self-pity out of personal disaster, turning bad luck into polished bar stories. He has a habit of coining highly specific phrases to describe everyday embarrassment. When a bit meets resistance, it is rarely a structural issue. Instead, the crowd is just briefly afraid to laugh at something so genuinely bleak.
Before finding standup in his thirties, Taylor was an amateur boxer. A detached retina eventually forced him out of the ring. The fighting background makes total sense when you watch him hold a microphone: he stays loose on his feet, takes a quiet room without flinching, and knows exactly how long to wait before throwing a hook.
Turning points
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1990–1996
Early Boxing Career Cut Short
Taylor was an amateur boxer competing in Golden Gloves and Police Athletic League tournaments until a detached retina ended his hopes of going pro, leading him to work as a trainer before comedy.
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Prolific First Year in Stand-Up
Starting stand-up at age 33, Taylor commuted from Sacramento to San Francisco performing between 300 and 400 sets within his first seven months, winning the Sacramento Stand-up Shootout.
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Release of Number One Special Bummin' with the Devil
Taylor released his second hour via Stand Up! Records, which reached No. 1 on both the iTunes and Amazon comedy charts.
At a glance
Fans also like
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Keith Lowell Jensen
A fellow Sacramento comic, early mentor, and frequent creative partner with whom Taylor co-hosted the podcast It's Funny Because.
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Brian PosehnTaylor tours frequently alongside Brian Posehn, sharing an affinity for nerd/counter-culture sensibilities and dark humor.
Podcasts
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Hipsterocracy · host
A weekly pop-culture podcast covering counter-culture and cult media like horror, comedy, and wrestling, featuring lowkey rants and guest interviews.
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It's Funny Because · co-host
An interview podcast dissecting the art and craft of comedy with national and Sacramento-area comedians.
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Cowbell Kingdom · co-host
A sports podcast co-hosted with comedian Daniel Humbarger.
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The AEW-some Pod · co-host
A podcast co-hosted by Johnny Taylor focused on professional wrestling.
Also on screen
- Bummin' with the Devil
A clip to start with
Johnny Taylor - Stand-up Comedy - Sacramento Punch Line