Ryan Cownie
A slow-paced absurdist who refuses to acknowledge his own visual jokes.
1 special · 2019
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A Ryan Cownie set feels like watching a man execute a complicated prank on himself. He operates with a slow, deliberate cadence, often building a premise so earnest that the room gets entirely quiet. Then he pulls the ripcord, dropping a goofy punchline that undercuts the mood. He will walk onstage wearing a bizarre costume piece and perform his allotted time without once mentioning it. He commits to structural bits that eat up his own stage clock, like pausing a story to dutifully recite a fake sponsor read for Mountain Dew.
Specials
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A wonderfully chaotic and self-deprecating stand-up set from Austin.
Stand Up! Records · Album · 48 min
On stage
He is an Austin comedy fixture who did the mandatory stint in Los Angeles before returning to Texas. He occupies the role of the necessary wildcard. When a local lineup gets heavy with tight, mechanical joke writers, he is the act booked to break the rhythm and remind the crowd that a live show can still be entirely strange.
His 2019 album I Can’t Die documents how much space he takes up on stage. He routinely pulls a crowd through improv games, rambling preambles, and short musical interludes. When a highly visual gag struggles to translate to audio, he just leans into the awkwardness. He will gladly let a pocket of dead air stretch out, trusting that the silence itself will eventually become the punchline.
Turning points
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Taking Over the Avalanche Comedy Showcase
Chris Cubas appointed Cownie as the new host of the weekly Avalanche Comedy showcase at Holy Mountain via a mock sword-knighting ceremony, positioning Cownie at the center of the Austin comedy circuit.
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Cap City Funniest Person in Austin Finalist
Cownie finished as the runner-up in the prestigious Cap City Funniest Person in Austin competition behind his longtime Nebraska peer Cody Hustak.
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Release of Debut Album on Stand Up! Records
Cownie released his debut stand-up album I Can't Die through Dan Schlissel's Stand Up! Records, earning praise from comedy publications like Laughspin.
At a glance
- On stage
- since 2007
- Style
- absurdist, observational, parody, musical comedy
- Breakout
- I Can't Die
- Influences
- The Jerk, The Wedding Singer
- Topics
- Elsewhere
- Wikipedia
Podcasts
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Why Should We Care? · co-host
Comedians Chris Tellez, AJ Henderson, and Ryan Cownie challenge guests to convince them to care about a wide variety of topics within a limited time frame.
Also on screen
- Cownie
- Munchie Run
- Home Free
A clip to start with
Ryan Cownie Semi Finals FPIA 2015