Meet Billy Willig | Stand Up Comedian

We had the good fortune of connecting with Billy Willig and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Billy, what do you attribute your success to?
The most important factor to my success in comedy has been endurance, a belief in myself, and the willingness to press on even when it feels completely hopeless. Often in show business you will see your peers, or other performers who haven’t been around as long as you getting opportunities and accolades that you may have wanted for yourself. It’s important to not compare yourself to others and to press on because every day is a chance to level up and improve yourself through struggle. I think the struggles I’ve been through and the hardships I faced made me a better performer in the end.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I started out performing when I was very young and involved in community theater. I acted in stage productions such as Robin Hood, Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, etc. I don’t think I ever really shined in acting, but I was able to learn the techniques and stage presence that really helped me build my own personal craft. When I was in high school my parents allowed me to start hanging out at Swayze’s Venue. It’s a bit silly to me now but the first time I became starstruck was when I saw my favorite local band Freshman 15 play a show for about 10-20 people. That was the first time I remember looking at the stage and thinking “I want to be like them.” The summer after high school I started my own pop-punk band which became somewhat popular locally and eventually around the country as a touring band. The process was not easy for me at all and I was never one of “the lucky ones” or “the cool kids” per say. I had to learn everything myself from playing instruments, music and video production, to just talking into the microphone and not embarrassing myself. After playing with my band for a while I started booking shows and tours for other bands under my booking company Buckwild Booking, which my friend Zak Mahoney and I founded with the help of our friends Corey Hursh and Dan Wilson. Bands would often drop our shows due to transportation or scheduling issues. I started filling the time slots left open by dropped bands with my stand up comedy, which at the time was very immature and silly, but my friends enjoyed it and the owner of the venue enjoyed it. Eventually other bookers started to book me on their shows because they knew I could bring a few paying customers out and help the show do well. I eventually found my way into the Atlanta open mic comedy scene, and the rest is history!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I love to show my friends around the comedy open mics in Atlanta. Though, I sometimes feel they don’t enjoy the low-to-the-ground grungy feel of it as much as I do! If I had a friend coming for just one day I’d hope it was a Tuesday so I could take them through the whole “gauntlet.” First we would hit Davinci’s Pizza in Midtown hosted by the hilarious Kahleal White, then to Noni’s Deli on Edgewood, next Tin Roof Cantina, and finally we’d end the night at Limerick Junction for the late nite lightning round open mic. I love doing the open mic circuit in Atlanta because you really get to experience the culture and nightlife of the city as a local. If they wanted to catch some live music we would probably visit The Masquerade or Sabbath Brewing: Two great venues to see some up and coming bands play.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have to shoutout Swayze’s Venue. It was an all-ages music venue that first put the mic in my hand and gave me the platform to perform my art. Since the covid-19 pandemic Swayze’s has since closed their doors, but there are countless artists who came out of that place that have now gone on to do great things in the industry.

Website: https://billywilligcomedy.com/

Instagram: @billywillig

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billy-willig-141aa5150

Twitter: @billywillig

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Billywilligcomedy

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@billywillig4120

Other: All content including my music and podcast: https://linktr.ee/Billywillig

Image Credits
Edward Tumulty Photography